Marked Child
by La'Rae and Ninjas Incorporated
Summary: Be careful what you wish for, because you never know when the Fates might be listening. They might just take you up on it. Sister fic, OC, slight crossover with TVD
1. Chapter 1

**.1, Daughter of the Sea**

… **.**

My mother hadn't been a normal human, she was the daughter of a demi-god and the granddaughter to Hades himself. So of course in true Greek sense, when she was an adult she fell in heat with his brother. Sure you're probably thinking, whoah that's messed up, or cool Adriana you're the daughter of Zeus or you know whatever it is that people normally assume when I say the brother of Hades. Zeus actually isn't the only brother Hades has, and for the record he can go fuck himself. Anastasia West, my mother, actually fell for Hades's other brother, you know god of the sea, the earth shaker, ol' Poseidon himself. Now you're probably thinking, that's pretty cool Poseidon is super powerful and controls the whole ocean, and while that is still a generalized assumption let me say this.

Contrary to what anyone has ever told you, being a demi-god is not cool, it's not fun. Being the daughter of one of the big three makes it even less cool and all the more dangerous. But of course my mother hadn't known any of that when she fell for my father. Lucky, because if she had, then I might not have been born. Now despite all of this, and how dangerous my life was, and all the struggles I have faced. I can't say I haven't enjoyed it. I have friends, I have a mother that loves me, a half-brother who would defy the heavens for me, and a family I would die for. I've had a good life so far. Not a long one, but it's been good.

Oh, this probably isn't the best way to start my story. You're probably thinking this is just another Greek tragedy. Another young demi-god dying young. It's not. I'm not actually dying you see, just contemplating my mortality. The rate isn't too high, and from time to time you find yourself thinking on it. For myself it's more often than others. Especially now, after everything that's occurred. But were not quite there yet.

So let me go back a little, a few years a max. I need to start over in my explanation. You need to understand exactly how I got here, standing on the edge of this cliff contemplating my short life. The starting point, exactly ten years ago today. Perhaps a few years was a bit of an understatement. My stepfather tried to drown me. Joke was on him though, you couldn't drown the daughter of the sea.

I was eight then.

We'd gone out to the lake house, my mom's a doctor at this small town hospital and worked lots of hours but once a year during the spring she would take a full week off and we'd go to the lake. It wasn't too far from town but it felt like getting away. She wasn't the only one who owned a house on the lake either, her partner Dr. Greyson Gilbert owned a house on the lake too and he usually brought his family out around the same time. We were all really close.

However this one time was different. Mom hadn't been able to get the full week off like normal, she'd used up some of her vacations earlier in the year when I'd been really sick. So for the first two days it was the three of us like normal and then she had to work the next two. Now up until this point my stepfather had never shown any sign of malice or ill intentions towards me. I was my mom's world, if he had she would have never left me alone with him.

Mortals were just so easy to influence.

The following morning had started off like any other morning. Mom got up, and started getting ready for work. Next was my step-dad he got up next and started making breakfast as it was his thing and mom almost never ate more than a granola bar. After mom was ready for the day she roused me. I hadn't slept well that night, my dreams had haunted me. We all ate breakfast together that morning before she headed into town to go to work.

Everything was normal. Following breakfast I helped my stepfather clean up and then went and got myself ready for a day on the lake. The only noticeable difference were the dark circles under his eyes. I hadn't been the only one missing sleep.

We went out after getting the kitchen back in order and getting dressed. I rushed out the front door as soon as permission had been given, he followed at a sedated pace behind. Hands stuffed in his pockets rolling his eyes and sighing the entire time. Exasperated by my antics. It couldn't be helped, I loved the water. Still do.

I dove right in. Nathaniel, my stepfather, he plopped down in the sand watching from the shore. It probably wasn't an hour later when everything changed. Something in him just snapped, I think, it's the only thing to explain what happened. Chaos gleaming in his eyes.

I didn't even have time to scream. Not that it would have done any different. For all I knew we were the only ones there. No one would even hear me. He'd gotten up in a fit, diving straight into the lake after me. Yelling nothing but madness, to this day I still couldn't understand what he'd been spewing.

My stepfather, for the record was a recreational trainer, lunged after me with great accuracy. At first I thought he was just messing around. It didn't even register in my head at the time he was attacking me. Another reason I hadn't screamed. He finally after a minute or so of water wrestling got a good grip on me and slammed me down just below the water.

Drowning wasn't going to kill me, I of course didn't know that at the time. So you can imagine the fear and the panic a faced in that moment. By far it is still the most traumatizing experience of my life. I've never been more afraid for my life than I was then. I really thought I was going to die.

I don't know when I realized that the water wasn't filling my lungs that I could still breathe. It could have been seconds, minutes, hours even but I couldn't tell you. Everything happened so fast. The earth quacked, rumbling in protest, the once calm lake had become angry, waves that shouldn't have existed in the first place crashed on the surface. And everything stopped.

The King of the Sea, had arrived.

From what I would come to learned the gods weren't meant to interfere with their demi-god children. It wasn't something they did. Supposedly it was against their law or something. Even now it seemed rather odd and flawed. I was an eight year old kid, my stepfather was trying to kill me, and you're going to tell me that my father was just going to accept that. Then you obviously didn't know him very well. I think out of all his siblings, he loved his children the most. Or he really hated the rules.

In hindsight you couldn't really bind the ocean. I would learn later that the reason he interceded then was because I'd been the cause of the quaking earth and roaring waters. If he hadn't, if I'd continued to panic I would have destroyed everything in a 20 mile radios. So he claimed.

I am plucked from the lakes floor, my lungs and eyes burned from the crying and screaming I'd done beneath the surface. Poseidon cradles me to his chest, it's warm, familiar, the smells of salt and sand mix together pleasantly. It calms me almost instantly. Faintly I can hear the sound of legs pushing through the water slowly and when he's feet hit the shore it drains me completely. I no longer have the water to power my outburst.

He carries me back to the Lakehouse, I will never forget how it felt. Being carried by my father. The whole while he mutters calming words, in ancient Greek of course, into my damp hair. Poseidon doesn't put me down even after getting into the lake house, as he calls the Hospital to tell my mother to come home. My father holds me in his arms until my mother gets there, he doesn't let me go for a long time after that either.

Mom doesn't ask what happened to Nathaniel, I don't think she wants to know. I never ask either. Because I just don't care. He'd tried to kill me. It's not something you just get over easily.

They argue for a long time after she gets back. About what happens now, about what this would mean for me. The sky outside darkens, Poseidon's interference hasn't gone unnoticed. His brother was not happy. Like I said earlier Zeus could go and fuck himself.

In the end, after several heated glances and harsh words, without any input from myself that I would be going to a camp for demi-gods for the rest of the summer. My mom while not happy, in the slightest, reluctantly relented. First thing in the morning I would be taken to Camp Half Blood, more than 350 miles away. Poseidon himself would be taking me. I wondered how many of their 'laws' he broke that day.

I was still in a daze, after everything that had happened the day before or else I think I would have protested more. Instead I sort of just went docilely with the man claiming to be my father. My mother kissed my forehead promising to see me again soon and before I knew it I was no longer in the small Virginian town I called home but was standing alone in front of a large house. Of course I did what any eight year old in my position would do and I started to cry. Loudly.

"Hey what's that noise?" Someone calls out from inside the house. A teen with dark messy hair, and eyes like mine poke their head out from the opened door. Followed by startled noise and then yelling back into the house.

The teen, a boy no other than fifteen hopes off the porch quickly. His long lanky legs carry him over to me quickly. He bends down to my level, unsure. Suddenly the same sense of warm calm washes over me. Instinctually I know that we are related. I practically launch myself into him, wrapping my arms around his neck, buried my face in the crock of his neck. Still bawling. To his credit he doesn't push me off of him or anything like that.

"Ugh, Chiron?" He sounds so unsure, uncomfortable even. I would apologize later. Slowly I lift my head up to look at the new noise. The sound of approaching footsteps and wheels rolling on wood.

I am pried carefully from his arms, by another person. A teenage girl with a quizzical look in her eyes and a soft smile. "I know you're scared, but can you tell us your name?" She ask softly. My eyes turn to the boy who I have decided is my lifeline and the only person who feels familiar to me in this bizarre situation. He looks at the girl beside him she offers him a faint smile, his eyes meet mine and he nods. Encouraging me to answer the question.

I stutter out my name. "Adr..ian..a Wes…t." The blonde girl gives an encouraging nod of her head, she offers me another smile. What I don't see is the wide eyed look on the man in the wheelchair or the look he gives the teens.

"Annabeth, Percy, why don't we help Miss. West inside. So we can figure out where she came from." He suggest from his position on the porch. The teens stand to their full height, after a moment the dark haired boy who I will assume is Percy offers me his hand.

"Come on, we'll figure out what's going on." It takes me a moment to take his extended hand but when I finally do I hold it as tight as I can manage. I didn't want to lose the only sense of familiarity here.

I never do figure out why I was so attached to him, why I felt like I did, how I knew that we were related, or why he made me feel so safe. But then again I never did ask.

Eventually we settle in a small parlor of sorts. Annabeth stood behind the man they called Chiron and I had insisted that Percy sit next to me on the small ugly colored sofa. Percy while confused and probably still unsure about my preference to him did comply. To the amusement of the blonde girl.

"Miss. West do you know how you came to be here?" I blinked in confusion, didn't he realize I was eight. He must have noticed because he added. "How did you end up in front of the house?" Once clarified I gave a nod of my head, that I understood and could explain. While still unsure of the entire situation and recovering from the events of the day before I did my best. Even the parts that hadn't made sense to me. Like the fact that demi-gods were apparently a thing and my dad was supposedly Poseidon.

Chiron sighed once I had finished my explanation, Percy had stiffened beside me, and Annabeth's face was completely shocked. "I thought so. I had hoped it would be a long time before we had to meet Miss. West. But I've been expecting you." Percy shot up quickly, stalking out of the room hastily. Annabeth after looking towards Chiron went after him.

All I could do was frown. Not at all understanding what had just happened. The man in the wheelchair sighed before beckoning me to follow him. Something about a tour before lunch and introductions to the camp Director. My eyes lingered uncertainly to where Percy had stormed out, my only piece of familiarity gone. I had no idea the impact on him of what I had just told them.

"Give him some time, he will come around." I nodded my head, but the anxiety remained.

When the tour was completed, after I'd met the camp director who was supposedly Dionysus the god of wine, and just in time for lunch I was officially claimed. Daughter of the Sea, I was now one of three children in Camp who's parent was one of the Big Three. I was suddenly feeling very self-conscious and shy and in my insecurities I forgot to eat completely.

Percy, who I was informed was my half-brother didn't make an appearance at lunch. Chiron got a reluctant looking ghostly looking teen to show me to my cabin. He gave out a huff in exasperation but did eventually show me the way. His name of Nico de something, I sort of stopped listening after he gave his first name, he was the son of Hades that part I had heard but then I just tuned the rest of what he said out. Nico deposited me in front of Cabin 3 and then promptly vanished into the shadows.

The only reason I knew it was cabin 3 was because of the gaudy bronze trident intertwined with the number 3. I looked up at the building warily, it was long and low, with pieces of coral and shell along the outside walls. It was the smell that got me though, it was a mixture of my lake house home and the falls from my hometown. But smelling it now, the scents that use to bring me comfort, use to make me feel content. All they did was traumatize me even further.

I use to love the lake house and everything to do with it, that love was replaced by fear. I was afraid of the very thing I was born to love. I never wanted to step foot in that lake ever again. It would be a long time before I could even venture out there.

"Adriana?" I wiped my head around quickly, thoroughly startled. Percy gave me a sheepish look scratching the back of his head while doing so. He must have realized what his sudden appearance did. There was something different about him, perhaps what had been bothering him before he'd gotten over.

"Ugh.." Words did not seem to be my forte today. He sighed taking my poor excuse of communication skills in stride, shaking his head slightly.

"Why don't I give you a tour of the inside, and then you can pick your bed." I looked at him dumbly for several seconds my brain till trying to catch up.

Eventually I squeaked, yes squeaked, out a yes. My face flushing as I did so. I ducked my head down, wide auburn curls falling in my face. As if they protected me somehow. Percy chuckled at me, placing a hand on my shoulder and instead of letting me embarrass myself any further he ushered me inside the cabin.

The ocean beach vibes from the outside continued on in the inside as well. I took me a minute to take it all in. Seven bunk beds in total, beautiful giant windows that looked out to the ocean, the walls glowed. It was surreal. My poor eight year old brain really couldn't handle it.

I looked back at Percy, I didn't know how I felt about calling him brother yet, he was watching me closely. There was a hint of uncertainty in his eyes. He probably wasn't sure how I was going to react. Maybe he thought I'd start crying again, there was still a good chance of that to be honest. I'd always been a bit of a cry baby. Percy shook his head, as if he was going to say something. But he ended up keeping whatever it was to himself.

I'd gone back to examining the cabin. Taking hesitant steps further into my new home. Mom had explained to me last night before they'd put me down for bed that I would be staying at camp until summers end. She'd come pick me up when it was over and we'd drive back to Virginia. I didn't know how I felt.

Actually that was a lie. I knew exactly how I felt then, and let me tell you it wasn't the least bit pleasurable. There were knots in my stomach, I was chalk full of nerves, scared and alone in this bizarre new world. All I wanted to do was crawl into one of those empty bunks and cry myself to sleep, praying that I'd wake up in my own bed and that all of this had been some crazy too much sun exposure induced dream.

I'd only felt like that one other time before. Lost, scared, and utterly alone. It had been a few years before that. When I'd gotten all the memories of my past life back. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention this earlier. So I should probably pause and explain that statement.

Reincarnation was real. I use to be someone else.

Now I was the daughter of a Greek god, in a strange universe that shouldn't have existed. It should have all been fiction. Too bad I had a bad habit of tempting fate. Eventually they'd take you up on your offer. I should have known.

Before I was Adriana West, demi-god, I used to be a normal human. I lived a normal boring life and had wished for something greater. So it really is my fault, they say be careful what you wish for. You never know who might be listening and decide to grant you those wishes.

"Adriana?" Percy's concerned voice brought me back from where my thoughts had drifted. My eyes widened, my face flushed again in embarrassment this time from being caught spacing out. He probably thought I was ditzy or something.

My brain thought so too 'cause I couldn't form words again. Lips opened and closed like a fish out of water. Come on Adriana, say something. Anything. "Are you okay? I know it's a lot." His tone had shifted from uncertain concern, and was softer more genuine. All I could manage was a slight nod.

I wasn't, okay that was, but I would be. I'd have to be.

I watch him for a moment afterwards, he smile brightly. Like anime quality bullshit. Followed by a quick look of realization and running over the bunk that was his. He throws a candy bar at me I catch it clumsily between my uncoordinated hands. Confused.

"Nico told me you didn't eat anything at lunch." As if the reminder of lunch was all my subconscious needed, my stomach promptly growled. The embarrassment.

"Tha..nk.. You." I did eventually manage which received another smile from my brother. He gave me a thumbs up too. Percy was sort of a dork.

"I'll help you get settled, your stuff appeared while you were touring camp with Chiron, so yeah…" His voice trailed off. My stuff… It was here, I'm sure my expression dropped even further then. The final straw, it was real, and I was now stuck here.

"Hey don't make that face, just like me your only here for the summer and the summer goes by pretty fast." He bent down to my level then, calmly reaching forward to brush the forming tears from my eyes. I told you I was a cry baby. We joke about it later, and Percy did credit my first month at camp to how easy he had it when dealing with Estelle when she was born, but we weren't quite there yet.

Stubbornly I push his hand away from my face acting like the total brat I was being right then. The truth was I wasn't coping well to everything that had happened and was overflowing with anxieties. That my tide like emotions were making me grumpy. To Percy's credit, he handled it beautifully.

I'd never respected someone as much as I'd respected my mom, but let me tell you. My brother, hero, savior of Olympus, he came really close. The jerk knew it too.

He didn't say anything blinking at me, looking at my hand that had just pushed his away. Shrugging he stood. "Come on, I want to show you something. Then will come back and unpack your stuff." That's all he says before turning and heading to the door. It's not a few seconds later that I'm chasing after him.

"Wait for me." Percy stops, I reach him. Grab a small part of the back of his shirt. Mumbling I'm sorry. He pats the top of my head and nods.

"Don't worry about it." He then ask if I want to ride on his back. Informing me it would be quicker that way. I nod my head, a little unsure. Percy squats down, I climb on, hooking my arms around his neck.

I rest my chin on his left shoulder, so I can see everything. He carries me past the other cabins gesturing at each of them, explaining who the belonged to, without saying some of their names, talking about some of his friends from each cabin. A few campers stop him along the way to talk, some ask for his opinion, and things of the sort. He smiles at them, talks back, points them in the direction of someone else who could help them, going about his business afterwards.

Eventually after what felt like a million year hike through a section of woods, we end up on the top of a cliff. It overlooks the water, the sun sparkles against the deep blue. Percy puts me down and then takes a seat in the grass cover hill. He makes a motion for me to follow suit. I do, crossing my legs under me like a butterfly giving him a confused look.

"No matter how the tides turn, you are not alone." He never lets me forget it either. The words spoken to me all those years ago still echo even now. I wasn't alone. It is a great comfort.

"Adriana!" The memory fades, I snap my head around at the calling of my name. Percy, now almost twenty-five pushes through the thick canopy of bush concealing this place. He wonders over to me his hands tucked in his pants pocket casually.

I blink innocently at him. He sighs. "You're late." My brother shakes his head, muttering brat under his breath. We both laugh after a moment. The sun begins to set behind us.

We'd survived another day. Perhaps there was still hope. Percy and I linger on the cliff until the sun sets completely behind the horizon.

There was just something about endings. They were so beautiful, so amazing to behold, endings just held a certain charm to them. Yes you're sad because it's over and will never happen again. But really we should just be happy, journey's end, and a chance for something new to start. What a whimsical thing it was.

Endings.

Too bad we just weren't there yet.

…

 **Thank you so much for reading this chapter please review and let me know what you think. I tried my best to keep all canon characters mentioned in this chapter as true to their character as I could manage. Once again thank you for reading, I will see you next time.**

 **Sincerely, La'Rae**


	2. Chapter 2

**.2, The Summer I Spent in Hell**

…

My first summer at Camp Half-Blood was pretty much a disastrous joke. They were apparently gearing up for war. War I say, this was a camp of children and they were gearing up to fight Titans. Like what the actual hell? Come to find out, my brother, he was at the center of it. Something about a prophecy, and why the Big three weren't supposed to have kids and this that and the other. I'd been too shocked about the revelation of war to pay attention to what else they were telling me.

There was also the fact that I'd only spend the first few weeks there anyway and the rest of the time in the underworld. Yeah don't freak out, I promise I didn't die. We just aren't there yet.

I was eight years old for crying out loud, less than two weeks ago I knew nothing about this. The only reason I even knew now was because the not knowing almost caused me to destroy everything. I'm sure if my mom could have had her way I'd never been a part of this so soon. Or ever, Anastasia West was a really good definition of over protective parent. Apparently it was something Percy and I had in common. His mother was also apparently protective as well.

I was still musing over all of this while wondering around camp sort of aimlessly. Percy had left the cabin early this morning, reminding me to eat breakfast before he headed out. Gods know what he was up too. Other than that fact that war was approaching no one really told me anything. So I became a proficient people watcher, gathering as much as I could about the oncoming storm.

So caught up in my thoughts, I'd hardly noticed the son of Hades appearing straight out of nowhere. Like a scene from a bad comedy I collided straight into him. For the purpose of over share, this was indeed not the first time I had collided with someone rushing around like this, and most certainly not the first time I'd run into him specifically. Or the last. Nico had this thing, where he sort of just appeared out of nowhere and then vanished almost instantly afterwards.

"You really need to watch where you're going, piccolo cugino." Nico speaks, the affectionate term he started calling slips off his tongue. I sort of just huff at him, pouting at his tone.

"And you should stop materializing at random, it's not very safe." He started to say something but stopped when someone walking up behind me interrupted him, I turned my head around to see who it was.

"I've been looking everywhere for you Nico, come on we have work to do." Percy voice reached my ears before I registered it was him. By the gods I was relieved to see him. I almost hated myself for how happy I was to see him. Nico seemed to notice the look on my face because he just sort of shrugged.

And probably made some sort of indication that I didn't see because Percy's eyes drifted down to me. He actually grinned. Percy that is, when he realized it was me. "Hey lil' sister, I think one of the forger kids was looking for you earlier." I groaned in realization, Ella, he was talking about Ella. She was twelve, so four years older than me, but we'd become sort of friends.

"Ella, she said that she had something for me. I have to go. I'll see y'all both later." I gave Percy a quick side hug and then darted off in the direction of the Hephaestus cabin.

Ella was sitting on the porch, a bronze something sitting on her lap. She was busy shinning her creation. I didn't come any closer, I had no intention of being burned today. So instead I stood just at the base of the cabin just watching, my toes dug into the warm grass. My shoes had been full of sand, so I hadn't worn them today. As if I really needed the excuse to not where them. I liked to feel the ground beneath me, I always had.

"You don't have to stand so far away _petit poisson._ " Ella looked up then, her deep brown eyes met mine. She appeared bored. I shuffled over to the copper haired girl making sure to not get to close as I didn't want to be stabbed by the weapon in her lap.

The mostly year round camper sighed, lifting what appeared to be a trident off her lap and holding out to me. I will admit that I struggled briefly not to drop the beautifully forged weapon. Once steady in my hands I took in every single detail of the creation. Finally I looked back at her, she seemed apprehensive sitting on the edge of the chair. I'm sure I gave her a confused look in return. As I really wasn't comprehending what was going on here.

"Do you like it?" Ella questioned, seeming to grow impatient with me. I nodded my head almost automatically. Yes I liked it, it was a beautiful creation. She smiled in satisfaction.

"Good, it's yours. I had this feeling you are going to need it. Right now it's situated to fit your size, but I will adjust it if you get taller." That caused me to pout at her, I couldn't help that she was a giant and I was a shorter than average eight year old.

"First of that's rude, second why?" She shrugged again. I had the feeling she wasn't going to tell me anything more. Ella leaned back in her chair, clearly she didn't want to talk about it any longer.

I thanked her for the trident, we said our goodbyes and then I went on my way. Carefully mind you, I was holding a freaking trident in my hands thank you very much. I had no intention of accidently stabbing myself. Best to go deposit this back at the cabin before heading to the beach.

I still hadn't been able to get back in the water. It been a little over two weeks since the incident that brought me here. But I just couldn't. Let it go that was. Chiron had been the one to suggest that I take a few minute every day and go out to the beach. He thought it would help.

Closing the cabin door behind me, I saw Percy, Annabeth and a few others rushing around in the distance. I shook my head, there was nothing I could do to help them. Camp was in disarray with the oncoming battle preparations. They didn't have time to be dealing with me. Once it was over, if we survived that is, I was assured that I'd be getting a proper demi-god education. Until then I was sort of left to my own devices. Occasionally I could be helpful, act like sort of a messenger between various people. But they seemed to be in the final stages of preparation at this point.

Instead of going after them I continued with my plan of going down the beach. With the grace of someone who'd spent their entire life at the banks of water I walked along the edge of the shore. Far enough away that the tides lapping onto the sand barely touched me, but close enough that my feet made deep imprints in the wet sand.

"How sad, a daughter of the sea afraid of the ocean." I turned around quickly to see who had spoken, but there was no one there. Perhaps I had imagined it. Though that thought hadn't felt right, I stopped, looking out to the ocean longingly.

I missed being in the water, but the memory of what my stepfather had done. It wouldn't leave me. It kept causing me to fear the very thing I loved, the very thing that created me. They say that bad memories hang on longer than good ones that you never really lose them.

"It's better that way." My whole body snapped around then and I came face to face with the speaker. I froze, stunned completely to my core. It was then that I realized how far I'd strayed from camp exactly how far down shore I'd gone.

The next realization was that I held no fear of the god before me. How could I? Not when I'd grown use to how fondly my mother would talk about him. My great-grandfather. Lord of the underworld, Hades himself. Oh, you were probably suspecting my father or someone else. Hate to break it too you but I hadn't seen or heard any more from Poseidon since he just left me here. Jerk.

"Proavus." The word we used to refer to him my entire life came flooding out before I could stop it. I slammed my hand over my lips following the slip up. Hades brow rose slightly, but there was a hint of smirk at the corner of his lips.

"You have your proavia's nose, and her freckles it would seem." He told me mirthfully. Completely going along with the slip up. I couldn't begin to comprehend what he was doing here.

He made a gesture for me to step forward. Not one to disobey a god, or disappoint my own great-grandfather I complied easily. As if my docile nature wasn't the reason for the current predicament. Hades reached forward placing his hand on top of my head. My limbs became limp, eyes heavy. All the sudden I was extremely fatigued. Knees buckled and I feel forward right into him, blacking out seconds later.

When I came too I was lying in the middle of a large bed, the room was lit with a few candles. I sat up rubbing my eyes trying to adjust to the poor lighting. The next thing I noticed was someone had changed my close. I was no longer wearing the oversized orange camp shirt and a pair of blue shorts. Instead I was dressed in long pale pink ruffle ridden silk nightgown.

Let it be noted that my first initial reaction was to freak out. Someone had changed my clothes, I was in a strange place, and I had memories of being abducted by my own great-grandfather, so give me a break. I was already having a hard enough time as is. Your judgement was quite frankly not needed here.

The freak out lasted a few seconds, all internal, and then stopped when the need to figure out exactly what the fuck was going on kicked in. I slid off the bed, my still bare feet hit the cool alabaster floor, sending a slight chill up my spine. There was a door, a big gaudy thing made of dark oak just opposite of the bed. I walked over to it slowly still trying to process everything. Delicately I reached for the handle, an obsidian looking stone cut out, and turned the knob.

Just outside the door I came face to face with who I was almost certain the Queen of the underworld. The woman was beautiful, warmth just radiate from her, she had clear golden eyes, and beautiful dark hair. Then to make my shock and surprise even worse she smiled at me, kindly. "Engoni." She greeted her tone rather content.

I was about ninety percent certain she would hate me. While I wasn't a child of her husband I was still a part of his lineage via a mortal affair he had. She shouldn't have looked so kind, her smile shouldn't be that warm. But yet it was. You can surely see my confusion over the matter.

Before I could say anything back, ask any of the millions of question I had she made a motion for me to follow her. Once again I complied, regardless of how much my complicity seemed to get me in. She led me down a long hall, it twisted, and turned in various ways. So much that I knew I wouldn't be able to find my way anywhere.

She stopped suddenly, in front of a red oak door. One that if you asked me was completely out of place among all of the dark colors I'd seen so far. Persephone wrapped her hand around the diamond knob pushing the door open carefully. Through the opened doorway I could see blue skies, and what appeared to be a garden in full bloom. "This way _engoni_." Her hand landed next on my shoulder and she ushered me into the room.

It was the most magnificent garden I'd ever seen. Persephone left me wondering in the direction of what appeared to be a small stream. I wondered what this was, surely it wasn't a place for any of the dead. Honestly it felt like some form of memorial really. The only question was to whom.

I wondered around, feeling a bit like Alice. This was truly some sort of wonderland. "Good you are awake." Hade spoke walking up behind me, I turned to glance at him over my shoulder. He looked different here. Less like the King of the Dead and more like a gardener from a sappy rom-com.

"You… You kidnapped me!" I pointed at him indignantly, my cheeks puffing out turning a slight red. He simply shrugged his shoulders at me. As if my accusation meant nothing to him.

"There is a war coming _engoni_ , surely you've realized this." He states tone bored, he starts to tend to the rose bush beside us. I recognized them, the roses I mean they were my great-grandmother' _s_ favorite. Yellow roses with flecks of red and white strewn about their petals. They were my favorite too.

I can't help but to look at him as if he'd grown a second head. Look it wasn't every day you saw Hades tend to the roses. It was a strange picture, one that made me shake my head. Regardless of the odd situation it didn't change any of the facts. I'd been kidnapped by my great-grandfather.

"That doesn't explain why you've taken me though. Surely you realized that?" I point out, feeling a little bit brave. Or stupid. The cat wasn't out of the bag just yet on that one. He paused in his tending, looking up at me with an amused expression. Let me tell you that was not a look you usually wanted to get from a god. Gods amused was a dangerous thing.

"Tell me _engoni,_ what has that half-brother of yours done to prepare you? Are they making sure you are ready to go to war? By the uncomfortable shuffling of your feet, I'd say not." He wasn't wrong though, and I couldn't be angry. Not realistically at least. Camp Half-Blood was organized mass chaos right now, there was no time to train new demi-gods or protect the younger campers. They were too busy preparing for war. I was beginning to see why he brought me here. Although I still didn't understand the why.

Hades must have read my mind, the next words out of his mouth were this. "You are my descendent Adriana, so I will protect you." Then he turned back to the roses as if he'd never said another word. I sort of just stood there gapping at him for a good five minutes afterwards. Eventually I just settled next to him in the grass, quietly, mulling over all I had learn. Offering to help with the roses, as there wasn't much else it seemed I'd be doing.

Briefly my thoughts went to my brother, I hoped he was okay. That he wasn't freaking out to much. Maybe he wouldn't even notice. He'd been so busy, maybe he'd just forget about me completely.

..

Percy was panicking, straight up sweaty palm induced panic. Dinner time had rolled around and no one had seen Adriana in hours. The last person to have seen her was Ella the Hephaestus girl who had become a friend to his half-sister in the last few weeks. She'd been the last to actually talk to Adriana that afternoon, but even she didn't know where the little girl had gone. So he was in full blown panic.

It shouldn't be this hard to find one little girl. Adriana stuck out pretty well among the other kids. Her auburn ever untamed curls were something you really couldn't just miss in a crowd. But suddenly she was just nowhere to be found. Percy did not feel well at all.

"Percy, come on it's getting late." Annabeth started, placing a hand on his shoulder. They really needed to go. The harpies would be out soon.

He absolutely hated this. Where was she? Adriana was his responsibility, he was meant to protect her. Percy had decided this pretty much almost immediately after she arrived. He'd just been so shocked originally that had a little sister that he had been sort of a jerk at first. But Adriana had wormed her way into his heart, she seemed to have that effect on Nico too.

"Yeah, maybe she's back at the cabin." He responded uncertainly. Annabeth offered him a strained smile. Trying to comfort him.

"If not, we'll look for her again first thing in the morning. But we have to get back to the cabins Percy." He nodded his head. Annabeth lead them back to the main part of camp.

She wasn't there. They still couldn't find her the next morning, either. It would be the end of the summer, until they'd see her again.

..

The summer I spent in the underworld was completely and utterly boring. Despite my one encounter with my great-great grandmother/ aunt? It was rather uneventful. Sure the surface was preparing for war, but in the underworld none of that really seemed to matter. Proavus was content to wait out the storm, Hades wanted nothing to do with the other Olympians and their war. Bitter was probably the understatement of the century.

Avoidance seemed to be a family trait. My great-grandfather was content to avoid the other and the problem at hand. As if his reluctance to join the war didn't stream from the wound of the other gods ignoring him for most of his existence. Greeks. The family drama was real.

I got it honest.

You're probably confused. I was the daughter of Poseidon. I should be trying my best to escape, go to the surface try to help. But I'm currently an eight year old. Physically that it. What was I going to do? How was I going to be any help? I wasn't trained, I didn't have experience with these things. Until a month ago I hadn't been aware that any of this was real. Give me a fucking break.

Also I knew, instinctually that all of this would work out. After the Hades induced nap I'd taken to arrive here more of my memories, my last life's memories, had started to resurface. I was living in a fictional universe, a merged one at that, however that wouldn't be important until much later, so I knew everything would work itself out.

Nico would convince (read; annoy) his father to help. And all would be well. I just had to wait it out here. I'd never desired to be thrown head first into a war with gods and monster. That just wasn't on my current agenda. Still wasn't. For the record I really did try my best to stay out of the godly drama. It didn't always work.

Yeah, I was just going to wait it out. Everything would be fine. I should have known better. It should have hit me sooner. But my nativity had blinded me. My father wouldn't take this lightly. Hades 'kidnapping' me. No he wouldn't be able to just let it go. It of course would start a huge argument between them.

They were all emotionally stunted idiots.

Gods. You couldn't live with them, oh no they fought too much amongst each other for that. Immortal siblings were absolutely the worst. No matter what you did you were stuck with them. For all eternity. Everyone else, mortals, monster, and demi-gods alike, well we were all just collateral damage.

Because eight year old me, naïve and oblivious as I was, could never even imagine such things. Even with the memories of my past life. So I never could have even fathomed how much of a problem that me being here with my great grandfather/uncle would cause.

By the gods, I was such an idiot back then. An idiot who had no idea how much her presence would truly change things. Even the smallest of pebbles can cause a massive change in the current. I should have known better.

We'll put a pin in all this now though, because we still weren't quite there.

I think it's time we delve back into the present. For a few moments before I'm caught spacing out. Well not exactly the present. Just an eight year time jump, my first day of sophomore year. I'd just spent the whole summer away, so it was good to be back.

You're probably thinking, no finish the story you've started. We want to know what you're talking about, what changes… yadda yadda yadda. I will, I promise, but first we have to fast forward. If I don't then you most defiantly won't understand the next bits of that part. Now you are probably thinking that's how story telling goes, you give your reader something they most certainly won't get and then you build up too it. But honestly you guys, that's just bad story telling. And rather boring.

I hated boring.

So instead, I'm going to give you something. Something important. Something that not even I have, not then at least. Understanding, and a bit of what's to come. That was, what other universe that had been merged with this one. The two fictional stories were coexisting because of me, because of my existence in this universe.

Maybe you've already guessed. I'll admit I've already given you a few hints. But how about another. So I don't have to just say it. Where were we, ah that's right, the first day of the new school year.

Mystic Falls High School. Mystic Falls, VA.

Yes, you in fact read that right. I'm not joking.

Someone snaps their fingers in front of my face. It's too late, I've spent too much time in my own head. Alas I have been caught. "Hello! Earth Adriana, are you even listening?" My best friend snapped at me. I hadn't been, and by the disgruntled look on her beautiful face she knew it too. Deep blue eyes stared at me in disappointment.

There was absolutely no point trying to lie to her either. I already lied about so much to all of them, they were mere mortals they couldn't even begin to understand the world I lived in. I told you earlier, that being a demi-god wasn't fun.

"Sorry Caroline, I wasn't. I was thinking about my dad." Which was partially true. I was thinking about him, just not in the sense that she would assume. Caroline like me had a distant father figure. She would more than likely assume I was either angry at him or missing him. Neither however were the case.

I'd seen him right before coming home, and it was just pointless to be angry at him. She offered a sympathetic smile patting my shoulder affectionately. "I guess I can forgive you. Summer not go as planned?" Everyone thought that when I left for the summer it was to spend a few weeks at a camp and the rest with him. Only half was true.

I just shrugged, no answer was better than another half-truth or lie. Caroline sighed and then promptly decide to explain for a second time what she had been saying earlier. "There's a new student this semester. Total hottie, he gives me Seattle heartthrob's vibes. I'm planning a spring wedding." She tells me, and I sort of just nod my head. So it was beginning then. I didn't hear a single word out of her mouth the entire walk to class after that.

The words of the Fates from all those years ago ringing in my ear. Eight year old me had been naïve, hadn't understood what they meant. Sixteen year old me could only remember them and fear the unknown. I hadn't wanted to do anything else. Even now at almost nineteen I still really didn't understand their meaning.

Eight year old Adriana had stumbled into a room not usually meant for living mortals, and come face to face with the very beings that had given her life. The fates usually had their own agenda all together and they simply couldn't be bother by the nonsense of the gods. I was just the unfortunate soul to be pulled into it.

I told you. You never wanted a god to look at you in amusement. That same piece applied if not more so to the sisters fates. Of course I found myself in that position, my life meant nothing to them. I was just the product of a running experiment of theirs. My whole life was by their design. They let me know it too.

I was a fool. The cards had always been stacked against me. My entire existence was nothing but a game to them. To make the situation worse, there was nothing I could do except play along. No matter what I did it would change the fates.

The summer I spent in the underworld was the first clue. Nothing good had come of that particular stay. No matter how I loved my great grandfather. If it hadn't been for him taking me, I would have never have had to come to these conclusion. I'd never know my fate.

It was a cruel existence. Designed by the Fates themselves. For a purpose I'd yet determined. The realization, and what caused it well.

That memory was forever burned into my brain.

I'd taken a wrong turn, I wasn't meant to roam the halls of Hades' castle by myself. But I was rule breaker, and I was bored. All I wanted was to see the yellow roses my great grandmother had loved so much again. Instead I went through the wrong door and ended up before them.

The Moirai.

They weren't anything I was expecting them to be. Mythology and popular fiction often described them as old crones, who shared one eye. And while the sharing of one eye seemed to have been almost true they weren't old crones. At least that wasn't how they'd chosen to appear before me.

No their appearance was much worse. Much more traumatizing than that. Because who they'd chosen to look like. My mother, both of them, the one from this life and the one from my last, and then me. But not the body I knew now. No it was the body I'd lost, the life I'd never get to live again.

Of course that sister was Atropos. I knew whom they were meant to be immediately.

Clotho the spinner, taken the form of my mother now, the things that are. Lachesis the allotter, in the form of my past mother, the things that were. And, Atropos the un-turning, my old body, the things that are to be. It was a frightening experience. Even before they started to speak to me.

"You are early." The voice I'd recognized as my own speaks. Atropos looks at me with her one opened eye. Seeing right through me.

"She is not yet ready. The time is not right." A voice sounding too much like the mother I'd lost speaks. There is a warning in her words. Lachesis is ignored by her oldest sister.

"You are not the one who gets to determine her readiness sister." The bored tone of Anastasia West's reaches my ears next. Clotho sounds completely unimpressed with each of her sisters. They take a moment to argue amongst themselves, fighting over the Seeing Eye, I turn to leave only to find the door is gone.

Finally Atropos cuts them off with wave of her hand, holding the eye in the other. She finally looks at me. Looking right through me, with both the single eye on her/my face and the eye she's holding. "We have not the time to deal with you right now, but here you seem to be." Her voice is menacing. It is her voice that I hear in my darkest nightmares.

 _We don't have time for you._

I'm too baffled to speak. My brain can't even form coherent sentences let alone think about how unnerving this entire situation is. It will hit me later.

Clotho and Lachesis, leaned into on another watch their sister with mild interest. She's the one in charge here. This is her game. "I told you she was coming." Lachesis says as if a moment ago she hadn't just said I wasn't ready. Atropos looks over her shoulder and glares.

"Very well." She closes her eyes, they all do.

Suddenly, I feel like my head is going to explode. I have the mother of all migraines, my eyes water a vision blurs. Hundreds of screaming voices rage in my ears echoing, crying out, and begging me to save them. The pain, the agony they all feel consumes me. My life flashes, and every single memory I'd thought I'd lost comes crashing back into me like the wave of a tsunami. My knees buckle, hands still holding on to my head, and I fall.

The last thing I see, is Atropos's amused face.

Then there is nothing. Silence. I black out from the shock.

Days later, I know its days because of where I wake up and who fond me I come too. In the bed I'd claimed for myself in Cabin 3. The whole summer gone, the war won..

I sit up in a panic, alone. Hoping it all been a dream.

It wasn't.

The voices don't come back. But it doesn't change the fact of what else I'd heard. Right before blacking out amongst all their screaming. Atropos's clear strong voice sealing my fate.

 _A child marked, the cursed moon, reality will fall._

I was doomed.

 **XOXOX**

 **Yeah, I don't really know either. SO please just let me know what you think. I swear this entire story came to me in a strange dream and I just had to write it out and share it with all of you lovely people. Thank you so much for reading this.**

 **I promise the crossover with the vampire diaries isn't going to play that much into the first parts of this but it will be Important later so yeah. I'll probably have Adriana go back and forth like this from time to time. Unless it's hard to read and you'd rather not then I can change it up a bit.**

 **When I get to the heart of the TVD plot of this I think I'll create another story and put it under the TVD category. This story right now is going to be heavy PJO based so I don't want to put it under the cross-over category quite yet.**

 **I hope you all have a great day!**

 **Sincerely, La'Rae**


	3. Chapter 3

**.3 , Breakfast at Rhea's**

Summer came to a bitter-sweet end. I was glad it was over. I'd spent have the summer in the underworld. My brother fought a titan, and won. I had an unforgettable meeting with the Moirai. All around it had been very eventful. You are probably wanting more detail about what happened after I'd met the Moirai, about how I'd explained my trip to the underworld. The truth of the matter was I hadn't. My reappearance while a cause for relief had been mostly overlooked by the aftermath of Percy's battle. I was relieved, resigned to the fact it had been overlook.

I hadn't wanted to explain anyways. Honestly I don't think I could have without sounding like an utter lunatic. Because I'd have to tell them everything. The truth just wasn't one I thought they could handle, I could barely handle it myself. I never told anyone what I'd learned that summer. It was better that way. No matter the nightmares I'd suffer because of it.

The only obstacle I'd run into was my overprotective mother. She'd known. Instantly that something was wrong, she always did. As if she'd been granted a seventh sense for it. I just couldn't talk about it. There as something wrong with the universe, and I was the center of that problem. It was a frightening thing, I had the potential to really fuck something up. The pressure was intense, the cause for many sleepless nights. Regardless I didn't relent, and I kept it from her as well.

My nightmares only got worse. Riddled with millions of screaming voices, begging me to free them, to save them. But I didn't even know who they were or why they'd chosen me to haunt. My mom tried to help, she could tell there was something wrong with me, but there was nothing she could do. There was nothing anyone could do.

The Moirai had really screwed me over. I was just a toy to them, something to play with and forget about later. They didn't care about me. About what their meddling meant for my well-being, for my sanity. There were many times where all I wanted was to die.

I didn't go back to Camp Half-Blood the following summer. My father had not been pleased to hear it. He actually came by to protest my mother's decision, to try and take me from her again. Anastasia West proved to be a force to reckon with. She wouldn't have any of it.

We were at the Lakehouse when he made his appearance. The first time since my former stepfather had tried to kill me. Mom had asked if I still wanted to go, or if I thought it be too much. I hadn't slept properly in months, my grades and social skills were taking the hit. Hard too. As if the disadvantages of being a demi-god hadn't already been enough of a problem in school. My ADHD wasn't as bad as Percy's had been, but the dyslexia was a pretty solid wall of fuck you that it made up for the lack of effect the ADHD had on me. So mom pulled me out of school for a week and a half early March and decided that we both needed a getaway.

She had given the choice of where to me.

I wanted to go to the Lakehouse. I craved the normalcy that I used to have. I missed the simplicities of my life before last summer. I thought I could handle it. Two days into the mini vacation my father joined us. Joined is sort of a strong world, he'd really only come by to try and make my mother change her mind about sending me back to camp. She'd declared soon after I came home that I would not be returning next year.

Anastasia West did not take back her word easily. Poseidon thought he could convince her otherwise. Read; seduce her to change her mind. Too bad for him my mother wasn't interested. She'd always claimed he just been an on and off again fling. Mom didn't have any interest in him now, she only remained in contact with him because of me. Although he hadn't taken advantage of it to be a part of my life.

I really didn't know how I felt about him.

So the normalcy that I have craved by returning to a place I'd once loved had been shattered almost instantly. I would come to hate that house on the lake.

I was sitting on the porch, hesitant to go out to the water, but having no desire to be anywhere near the argument happening inside the house. Their yelling unmistakable.

"Don't be naïve Ana, it isn't safe for her to be here! She needs to learn to protect herself."

"It apparently wasn't safe for her at that camp either! She's not going!"

"You are going to get our daughter killed with your selfishness!"

"My selfishness?! No it's your selfishness that's going to hurt her!"

It went on and on, circling like that for half an hour. The screaming voices in my head, piled on with the argument coming from inside the house. Became too much for me to handle. I jumped up, my feet made contact with the wooden steps as I hoped down. I couldn't take this anymore.

I ran. As fast as my legs could carry me. My emotions were raging, unstable, and the check I'd been learning to keep of my godly powers fell. The raw painful feelings I'd been trying to deny churned in me. I wanted to scream, cry, ball up and disappear all at once.

The ground rumbled beneath my aching and bleeding feet. I was a child throwing a temper tantrum one that reaped huge repercussions. They said that some children of Poseidon had been known to create massive storms, and earthquakes, hurricanes, it was why Chiron had stressed with me the importance of keeping my emotions in check right before I left camp. I had the potential to cause massive damage.

It was the largest rain storm in Virginia that year.

..

Anastasia West was a patient woman, a well-respected Doctor, a kind and caring mother. She was rarely seen under duress or panic, always adapting a calm appearance to keep everything running smoothly. There didn't seem to be a malicious bone in her body. Her partner Dr. Gilbert once called her a saint jokingly. All of these things in mind didn't change the fact that she was fiercely protective of her daughter. Adriana was her miracle child, a literal gift from the gods. Of course she do whatever was necessary to make sure she was well loved and cared for.

She was red in the face, angry at Poseidon and his wild accusations. But mostly she was angry at herself. Her insecurities in her ability to protect her own daughter had been what led her to let Poseidon take Adriana to Camp Half-blood last summer. A decision made in haste and too soon, she regretted it more than anthing. He hadn't told her the truth of what was going on in his world, he hadn't been honest with her about the state of the camp, and his dishonestly had cost them both greatly.

Their daughter was damaged. Something had happened to her over the summer. Something she wasn't talking about, to anyone. It was causing her nightmares. The loud bubbly little girl who Anastasia loved so much was gone. She'd been replaced by a withdrawn, reserved, quiet scared child. It broke her heart.

"If it wasn't for your meddling last summer, none of this would have happened. MY daughter would still be herself! I wouldn't have to worry about the chance of a nine year killing herself." Anastasia had seen the dull lifeless look in Adriana's eyes from time to time. When her daughter thought no one was watching her, when she let the last pieces of the mask of trying to be normal fall. Angry broken tears streamed down her face at that thought.

Poseidon was taken aback by that. He actually stopped, the next insult and argument stalled on his tongue. Just as he was beginning to ask what exactly she meant by that the earth rumbled under them. They both froze, a sense of dread winding up their spines. The sky outside the large kitchen window had darkened drastically. Anastasia grabbed the remote off the kitchen counter turning on the small TV in the kitchen.

" _This is just in folks, a massive storm cell has formed out of nowhere over the Mystic Falls and surrounding areas. We are advising everyone to stay in their homes at this time. Please do-"_ She clicked the TV off, her face drained of all color and she set out of the kitchen. The last time something like this had happened…

Anastasia threw open the front door, her eyes darting frantically round the area. Adriana was nowhere to be found. Poseidon was at her heels momentarily. A sense of panic in his steps. No doubt in his mind where this storm had come from, it just shouldn't have been possible. She shouldn't have been capable of something at this magnitude. It was just too rare, his children rarely had control over anything but just the water around them.

Storm creating wasn't common among them, and when they did seem to have a knack for it. It was usually just one or two things.

Large chucks of hail came falling down, mixed in with the thick rain. Poseidon reached forward grabbing Anastasia and pulling her back inside the house. "Don't, it's too dangerous." He warned, she tightened her fist and snarled at him.

"My baby girl is missing, out there in this mess and you're telling me not to look for her! How dare you!" She struggled against his hold, trying desperately to go after Adriana who was no doubt scared and confused. Poseidon sighed, he didn't have time for this. He needed to find Adriana and stop her before she completely lost control. Or before anyone else decided to interfere.

"Anastasia, you will not be able to find her in this storm. I will go and look for her. But you need to stay here." She deflated then, seeing the truth of his words. Anastasia gave him a level look.

"Bring her back to me." It wasn't a question. He nodded his head. They're argument set aside for the time being.

Poseidon needed to find their daughter. She was vulnerable, there was no telling what could happen to her if a monster or another god found her in this state.

..

I thought that I could just find my way back into town, that everything would be fine. I'd go to Caroline's or something and hide out there until my parents stopped fighting. But I got lost. The storm had picked up, a storm that my unstable emotions were causing, and it was hard to see through the thick rain. Helpless. Completely helpless, I didn't know what to do. I didn't know how to stop it.

I was lost.

The road I'd been wondering down was no longer familiar to me. I think that I'd gotten turned around somewhere in all the confusion. I was starting to panic more. There was a part of me that knew I needed to calm down. That if I calmed down everything would be sorted, but the logical part of my brain the part that knew that wasn't working right. I couldn't calm myself down. I was starting to hyperventilate. The winds roared around me, picking up their speed. This wasn't going to end well.

In my frightened anxious state I don't see the car speeding towards me on the winding backroad. Regardless of the fact no one should have been out during this storm. The sound of tires skidding across a slippery surface, the squeal of breaks reach my ears. I turn, alarmed by the noise that's broken through my current state.

There's no time for me to react. The car is going to hit me. It's just like before. My life flashes, bracing for the impact I know that's about to happen. It never comes.

In an instant I am no longer standing in the middle of the Virginia back road in the rain. I'm not even soaked anymore. Instead I'm being held in someone's arms, warm comforting arms. Their face pressed against the top of my head as they whisper calming words to me. There is a godly presence about them, but also a kindness.

"Calm down little one, everything is alright." The feminine voice promises. Sincerity laced in her tone. I don't know who this is, I haven't the faintest idea. I don't even know how she found me or where she'd taken me. But there is a certain loll in her voice, an edge that just makes me feel at ease. It's calming, and warm, there is a kindness laced through it.

The storm raging outside stills.

I don't fight it. My body, all the adrenaline gone, goes limp in her arms. She continues to hum. Running a hand through the lengths of my hair. I realize exactly how tired I am then, all the sleepless nights catching up to me.

I probably should have cared more about the situation I was in. But all I could focus on was how comforting her hold was, how at ease she made me feel. There was no way I'd be able to fight it. Not when I hadn't wanted to. I was so tired.

It doesn't take very long, I slip into dreamless sleep moments later.

The storm now completely over.

..

The Titan Queen, is rather disappointed with her second oldest son. If the state of her half mortal grand-daughter was anything to go by. She'd been keeping an eye on the demigod for a while now. Adriana West, a young but troubled girl, if the mark on the back of her neck was any indicator. It seemed the Moirai had some interest in her grand-daughter. Rhea wasn't one to get involved with the affairs of the Olympians. But she was interested.

What did the Moirai want with the girl?

Furthermore, how was this one child so powerful? Her son's mortal offspring were never this gifted before. Even Poseidon's other child, the one who had defeated her ex-husband, didn't seem to have this sort of raw power. It was just unheard of.

Rhea pondered over these things while holding the sleeping girl. She'd intervene when it became clear to her that Poseidon wasn't going to be there in time to save her. Que her current feelings of disappointed with her son.

Bastard child or not, the girl was still his daughter and thus his responsibility. Their rules be damned. Rhea, who had sacrificed everything so her children could be free, couldn't understand the rules her youngest had set in regards to their demi-god children. But it wasn't her place to say anything.

She placed her hand over the mark on the back of Adriana's neck. The little girl was burning up. Fever no doubt, from all the sleep she hadn't seemed to be getting. Her eyes glanced back up at the clock on the wall. Poseidon would be here soon.

The Titaness hadn't decided if she was going to hand the girl over or not. Obviously her son could not be trusted to do his job. She paused in that thought, it wouldn't be fair to just take the girl away from her mother though. Rhea would give her credit, the mortal woman was a good mother, she approved.

Three swift knocks on the front door pulled her away from those thoughts. She gave a sigh. Walking over to the door carefully, not to disturb the little girl. Rhea pulled open the door. Her assumption had been correct. "Hello mother."

"My son." Rhea motioned him inside.

"I wasn't aware that you were living around here. Hestia said you had a home in New York." There is a slight accusation in his tone. She pays it no mind, responding with a slight nod of her head.

"I do. But it's good to get out of the city from time to time. Take a seat my son, I'm going to go lay her in the guest bed." He begins to protest, but is shot down quickly with a sharp look from her. Poseidon knew better than to argue with her. His mother was a fighter.

Rhea gently laid the girl on top of the guest bed. She unfolded a quilt from the end of the bed to drape over Adriana's body before heading out of the room. Happy to see that her son had listened, she makes a gesture for him to stay put before heading towards the small kitchen. They would need some tea.

Poseidon watches as his mother sets a kettle and two cups between them on the small coffee table. He would like to just take his daughter and haul her straight back to camp half-blood so she can start learning to protect herself and apparently control her abilities. But the look in Rhea's eyes that she isn't about to let him anywhere near her and he knew better than to pick a fight with his mother. Least he want any of his siblings here. He was already still bitter with Hades for taking his daughter to the underworld without his consent, obviously his brother didn't understand his boundaries.

Rhea watches him, while she fixes them both a cup. She knows exactly how all of her children take their tea. Somethings just didn't change. He accepts the cup from her cautiously, so use to the backstabbing nature of his siblings and the other gods. None of them trust easily. But pride had always been on of Poseidon's biggest downfalls. Yes it seemed, her children really hadn't changed.

"How long has it been since you had a daughter? I lose count of all the affairs you've had." Poseidon tries not to grimace at her frank tone. It seemed Rhea was not pulling her punches today.

"It's been over a century. Adriana is the first daughter bore to me in quite some time." She nods her head at his answer taking it in. Rhea could see that the girl was in fact important to her son. Even if he hadn't been able to show it until now.

Her nails clicked against the hardened cray cup, just observing her son. It was obvious he wanted nothing more than to take Adriana from her. That he wanted her to be safe and protected. But the normal channels of insuring that weren't available to him. Between the physical barriers she became and the psychological one the mortal woman had given him. He was trapped. It wasn't something that happened to him often and Rhea could tell it was really bothering her son.

"You are afraid for her. Afraid of what this means, she's powerful, and it won't be long before the others take notice. Some already have." His eyes narrow then. So his mother had known, she'd seen it too.

"I take it you are referring to the mark on her neck?" She takes a sip from her cup before answering.

"It's not hard to miss. I do wonder what exactly those three have in mind." Rhea sets the cup down. She hadn't intentionally meant to goad her son, but she needed him to be truthful with her. There was something he was hiding from her. Something more about the situation that he wasn't sharing.

The cup he's holding shatters, Poseidon offers her an apology. She waves it away, Rhea knew what she was doing. He sighs. There was something he needed to get off his chest, and his mother seemed to know it. For once he decided to indulge her. "They foretold her arrival. In a prophecy given only to me, right before the vow I made with my brothers." He takes a breath. It had been a while since he thought of this.

"It wasn't really a prophecy, more of a warning. They claimed she'd have powers strong enough to tear apart the fabric of our reality. At first I thought it was just more to the prophecy regarding the fall, about the child of one of us, telling me it would be my child. My daughter. That she'd be the undoing of Olympus. I'd let it go to the back of my mind after the vow, it hadn't mattered then." And then when he broken that vow, the child that had been born was a son, it hadn't even crossed his mind. The Moirai's warning.

Not until he'd seen the mark on the back of her neck that morning. Then it all came rushing back to him. The truth hitting him hard, the prophecy had been something else entirely. "You'd forgotten about it. That was a reckless thing to do my son. Warnings given by them should always be taken into careful consideration." She scolded him lightly. There wasn't anything he could say for his defense either. His mother was right.

For the first time in probably a millennium he acted like the child she still saw him as. A child who still needed their mother's advice. "What should I do? What can be done?" He wanted to protect his daughter, but he didn't know the best way too. Rhea leans forward, she places a comforting hand on his looking him in the eye.

"Prepare her. It is the only thing you can do." He gives her a defeated look. Rhea knows only she will ever see him like this, and once he has gotten what he wants from her he will go back to the way he was when he arrived here. That this meeting will not have happened. It pangs her heart deeply.

"How?" She offers him a small sad smile.

"By being her father." He shakes his head.

"I can't, it is against the rules."

Rhea sighs, letting go of his hand and leans back in her chair. "Then she'll die." It is the harsh reality of the situation. No one can prepare her for the path laid at her feet better than her own father. If he wasn't willing to break the rules, to do something, then there was nothing anyone could do for Adriana. Not even herself, Rhea had no desire to get mixed up in the business of her children. Picking sides would only hurt their feelings more.

"I need to take her home." He finally says, the vulnerably of the moment gone, the King of the Ocean had returned. Rhea shook her head.

"Let her sleep for now. Go inform her mother that she is safe, and that I will bring her by in the morning. I'm sure Dr. West is beside herself with worry, I know I would be if she was my daughter." Poseidon thinks, that it was obviously Rhea who they got their quick wit and ability to throw shade from. His mother of course threw shade like no one's business and was rather quick to let you know what exactly she thought.

This he does try to protest, to no avail. The Titan Queen wasn't budging on her stance. "Mother I insist, let me take my daughter." Rhea narrowed her eyes in warning.

"Poseidon my son I love you, but no. Your daughter needs rest. She is asleep in the other room, she is safe here, I am not going to let any harm come to her. Now please go. I'm sure her mother is worried." It was the end of the argument, and a clear dismissal.

"First thing in the morning. Anastasia and I will be here then to pick her up." He reiterates. Rhea nods. Poseidon relents for now, no one won arguments against her.

"Very well, now off with you before either of your brothers decides to look for you." He nods, and then vanishes from the chair. Rhea huffs. There were doors for a reason. She stands, wanting to go check on the girl. To ensure she was still sleeping.

Rhea smiled in satisfaction, watching the rise and fall of the covers. Even breathing. It would seem her grand-daughter was sleeping just fine.

..

Of all the gods, monsters, supernatural, and strange beings I have ever encountered in my life. Meeting Rhea, Queen of the Titans, my grandmother was by far the least traumatic. I was actually rather fond of her. She was the reason I was still alive. Her interference saved me from having to face a terrible repeat of the same death. Also she saved me from myself, several times over. When I thought I was going to break, when the going got to tough, she was the one who always helped put me back together. Because she knew, she was the only one who knew.

She wasn't bond by any notion of formalities, and she had resigned herself from the politics of the Olympians. The old Queen could not be bothered by the constant fighting of the twelve. Rhea was entirely removed from the situation. Having absolutely no desire to be involved. Even now the only connection she had towards them was interest in me. I knew from my mother, that Rhea had not been pleased by the laws Zeus had placed in regards to their demi-god children.

The decision to tell her came easily after we became more acquainted. Rhea became my confidant. I confided in her things in which I knew I could not with anyone else. Things I couldn't even tell my own mother, whom I loved dearly. It had been for the best. But being able to talk about all of it was a relief. I started sleeping better.

I bet your probably wondering how all of this came along. If you remember I stated earlier I did not go to camp that summer, which was in fact true. However I did spend the summer training. Just in a different setting. That summer I spent with Rhea. She was the one who ultimately helped me get control over my powers.

I told you, I owed her my life.

It had been an arrangement both of my parents could get behind. I wouldn't go to camp that summer, as per the wishes of my mother but I would still learn the control I needed. Poseidon could use the excuse of visiting his mother to check in on my progress without raising too much suspicion. A win win for everyone. I guess.

Though I think I am getting a bit ahead of myself. I've been doing that a lot lately. So it would seem. I should probably get back to where we are actually at instead of the things to come. I'm not being a very good narrator… I couldn't be good at everything.

By now I was exceptionally good at adjusting to waking up in strange places. I couldn't even be mad after the peaceful sleep I'd had either. I probably should have… But unlike waking up in the perpetually dark underworld, waking up in Rhea's cottage with the sun streaming through the window was relatively easier to swallow. The smell of home cooked muffins helped too.

I push the brightly colored quilt off of me stretching before sliding out of the bed. I find myself completely at ease even in the unfamiliar place. In hind's sight, I was an extremely trusting child I was lucky it hadn't really proven to bite me. The Moirai thing aside.

I wondered around in daze following the smell of food. I can to a stumbling halt when I came face to back with my savoir for the first time. From the back, with long curly black hair falling almost to her waist, I thought it was Persephone. That thought was entertained for an entire of three seconds because then she turned around. They say that the Olympians were more beautiful than the Titans, but I find that to be only half true.

The Queen of the Titans, is a stunning woman. She was more beautiful than any of the stories give her credit for. Her hair was the same as my fathers, and I could see exactly who I'd gotten my unruly curls from. Eyes were round, a pretty shade of green almost mimicking a meadow in coloring, truly mesmerizing. But none of that held a candle to her smile. It was bright, kind, it encases her entire face.

"Good morning." The smile has transformed into one of knowing. I sputter embarrassedly.

"Mor..ning." She just laughs. It's enchanting.

"Take a seat dear, breakfast is almost ready." I heed her instruction and take a seat at the small round table. As soon as I am settled a small kitten jumps into my lap.

You guys, can I just take a minute to say that I absolutely love small animals of all kinds. Kittens especially. So it can be noted that I am instantly transfixed here. As in, I could sit in that one spot without moving for hours just petting the soft kitten. I don't get to, but I could. Just figured you should know this.

Now after I have sat down, and started petting the fluffy dusting colored kitten, I realize that I still don't know who this woman is. Instinctually, like with Percy, I knew we were related. That wasn't hard to guess, Olympians all favored each other so looking at this woman I knew she was family. It was the how that was getting to me.

"Um.. Thank you for saving me, but who are you? And where are we?" I asked while she set a plate with a strawberry muffin, some grits, and a poached egg in front of me. First of all delicious. Second, best flipping muffin I have ever eaten in my life. She gave me a gentle look and a kind smile.

"I am Rhea, your grandmother." I gaped, like fish and almost dropped my fork.

It was just my luck that I'd somehow been saved by the Queen of Titans herself. Also my luck, continuing the tradition of making really embarrassing facial expression at gods. I'm sure they've all had a good laugh at the numerous looks I have given them over the years. Or they were secretly planning my demise over them. Either way, I will warn you now the expression would pretty much only get worse. The gods were really good at catching me off guard.

"Close your mouth honey, it is unbecoming of a young lady." There is a sense of mirthfulness in her tone. I proceed to stuff a piece of muffin in my mouth. Oh the horror. Rhea just shakes her head at me turning and heading over to a tea kettle.

"Your mother and father will be by later, after breakfast I'll start a bath for you so you can get out of those clothes. Then I'll help you with your hair." She tells me over her shoulder, I give a squeak of yes ma'am before I take another bite this time of the egg. It was easy to see why she was the Titaness of motherhood. You can also see the beginning of why I trusted her so immensely.

Following breakfast I took a bath, washed my hair, and got dressed in something I didn't recognize. A slightly oversized white blouse with flowers sewn along caller and a pair of light blue shorts. I'd kept my hair in a towel and headed back towards the kitchen to find Rhea had finished cleaning up the kitchen.

She smiled at me, clearly pleased. "Feel better?" I did actually, I nodded my head in confirmation. The smile remained on her face.

"Good. Let's do something about your hair and then we'll go outside for a while to wait for your parents." I was lead into what I assumed was her room and she sat me down in front of a red oak vanity.

There was just something about having your hair done. It was rather relaxing. I won't bore you with those details.

Upon going outside I actually realized I knew where we were. I'd seen this house many a time. It was a house that mom and I passed going to the lake house. Just outside of town, on its own stretch of land that you could barely see from the road. A quant thing, painted a dull rose with a tin roof. But it wasn't the house that I remembered. No it was the massive garden of flowers in front of it. Bright vibrant colors, pinks, yellows, blues, and so on.

About thirty minutes later, my mom's car pulled into the long driveway. My mother wasn't driving though. She looked worked up. It was then I remembered the events of the day before. The guilt hit me instantly, she was probably worried to death. But as soon as our eyes met she looked instantly relieved.

Her arms were around me before I even realized she'd gotten all the way out of the car. The second I was held in her tight embrace I broke down. Guilt just eating me up. I felt terrible, for everything I'd done, all the worry I'd caused her. It was too much.

"I'm sorry.." I sobbed into her shoulder, I could hear her sigh. She ran her fingers through my detangled hair. Finally when it became clear to her that I wasn't going to stop she simply picked me up. Comforting me. As if this all hadn't been my fault.

As if everything to come wasn't because of me. Because of my existence.

 **XOXOX**

 **Thank you so much for reading this chapter! Please let me know what you think!**

 **Have a wonderful day/evening/whatever.**

 **Sincerely, La'Rae**


	4. Chapter 4

**.4, In Which I am a Horrible Narrator; Spoilers!**

And life went on, as it does, the next year flew by without much trouble. For me at least. The same could not be said about my brother Percy. He always seemed to be at the center of some sort of storm. To be honest I never really understood it, I hadn't read all of his stories I didn't know why everything that happened ugh… happened. It wasn't something that had made much sense to me. I'd been a casual fan at best, I'd read the first series all the way through and then well. Life happened and I'd only managed to read a few bits here and there before my untimely death.

Sue me.

Anyway. As I was saying, life went on. I contemplated my brother's bad luck the whole ride to New York. Mom was asked to attend some sort of medical conference by an old schoolmate or something and she'd decided that it would be a fun trip for the two of us to go on. Like I really wanted to go back to New York after the disaster of my last trip.

Hey, Camp Half-Blood was still technically in the state.

My training with Rhea was different than the formal education I would have gotten at camp but still effective. She spent the summer in Virginia and then when school started back she went back to her home in New York. I'd actually be staying with her while mom was attending the conference. Which was fine, because her titan scent would mask my demi-god scent keeping me protected from all of the monsters that seemed to linger in the big city.

I bet you thought I was going to give the details about my training. But I just couldn't be bothered. I was getting trained, I was coping with my reality and finally moving forward. The real challenge would be what would happen once I returned back to camp after my year reprieve. At the pits of my being, at my very core I couldn't help but the sense of foreboding and dread. No matter what I did or what I told myself I couldn't shake the feeling either. All I knew, was that I wasn't going to like what happened next. Vague and shadowy future knowledge be damned, 'cause it was absolutely no use to me now.

"Adriana?" Mom's voice, calm and cool pulls me from my musings. I turn my gaze from out of the window to look over at her. Anastasia West was a beautiful woman, it was easy to see how my father fell for her. She was petite, as were most of the women on her side of the family, my proavia included. Round face, full cheeks, doe like eyes and small but full lips. There were freckles that were dusted across her cheeks and nose, those same freckles were mirrored on my face but weren't as pronounced as they were on her due to the fact I was naturally tan like my brother and father. Mother was fair in complexion. But I think what my father has found most appealing about her was her capacity to love. This was a woman who would fight for her family, no matter what, until her very last breath.

"Yes mama?" I questioned, tucking one of the wild curls out of my face meeting her eyes. Her eyes were soft caramel color, deep and focused and easy to get lost in. It's where she was most expressive. Window to the soul indeed. The closer I looked at them then, the easier it was to see.

She was worried. Scared even, I knew why to. The reason for her anxiety I had been the cause of after all. I usually was. But this was because of how I'd been right after finding out. Even now my behavior from almost a year ago was still hurting her. Guilt flooded over me once more. I'd been bad off and my mother had suffered because of me. I did this to her.

"You've been quieter than usual since we crossed the Delaware River. What are you thinking about so intently?" She questions, eyes back to the road as the light turns green. I look back out the window, we'd be in the city in about an hour or so.

"I'm worried about my brother." Eventually I manage. I wanted to talk to her about it, perhaps maybe she could quell the restlessness in my core. That she could give me some sort of comfort to ease how I felt.

She raises a brow, I see it in the window's reflection. "Percy?" Mother questions as if she doesn't really follow. I didn't talk about him much, not around her at least. I didn't know how she felt about it. At least it was the excuse I told myself for as to why I didn't. My mother didn't have feelings for my father, not anymore so I don't really think she'd be too upset by the mention of my paternal half-brother but I didn't want to test it.

The petulant ten year old in me couldn't help but to roll my eyes. "I only have one brother mama, well one brother that I've met and claim. Percy says we have a brother named Tyson, a cyclops, but I haven't met him and the rest of dads god kids are jerks or so I've been told." She glances over at the semi-annoyed look on my face and not even a second later burst out laughing.

"Why are you worried?" She asks once her laughter has subsided, probably because of my put out look and pout.

I shrug my shoulders sinking down into the front seat. Ten years old shouldn't really be sitting in the front of a vehicle but the back was full so mom let it slide. "I dunno just have this feeling. Do you think Nona Ray will have a way I can check up on him?" She sighed then, and shook her head.

"Perhaps, you can ask her when we get there. Are you sure you are okay to stay with her? I don't mind having you stay with me at the hotel Adibug?" I looked up at her and smiled.

"No mama, as much as I love you that sounds boring. You'll be too busy." Besides, we both knew it was safer this way. It was the real reason she'd brought me in the first place. I was the daughter of Poseidon, I had a strong scent. No one in Mystic Falls could keep me safe from any monsters that sought me out if mother left me there. We didn't really say much after that. There wasn't a lot more to be said.

Rhea braced herself for the impact she knew was coming. Three. Two. One. Adriana jumped into her arms greeting her with kiss on the cheek before nuzzling her face in the crook of the older woman's neck. The copper haired little girl muttered her spoken greeting in ancient Greek while the Titan queen wrapped her arms around her. She watched with an amused smile as Anastasia West got out of the car, exasperation clear in her eyes.

The mortal woman walks over just as Adriana has let go. Rhea just smiles at the woman who manages a slight smile back, still exasperated but it was a fondness to the look. "She's been looking forward to visiting you since I told her about the trip." Anastasia tells the titan queen who just smiles down at her granddaughters head and places a hand on top of her unkempt hair. Adriana wrangles her way out from under her grandmother's hand and darts off. It's not the first time they've visited her here in New York and her house here was set up almost exactly like the one in Virginia.

With Adriana out of hearing range, Anastasia finally sighs. "Thank you for watching her for me, I know what it could do." Rhea waves a hand at her and continues smiling."Don't worry about it dear. As if any of my children would dare to tell me what to do. Adriana is always welcomed here." The Titaness tells her plainly. Because really who would dare tell the mother of Olympians what she could and couldn't do. Anastasia nods her head with, a sigh escaping her lips.

Rhea can see things about the young mother in that moment that she hadn't seen before. Of all of the mortals her second son had been with, these last two well they'd been something else entirely. She'd seen a glimpse of Percy Jackson's mother, and like Anastasia West, Sally Jackson was a strong capable woman. There was just something about them both, and while they'd both moved on from her son she was quite glad that these two were the mothers of Poseidon's children.

"You should get going dear, or you'll miss you check in time." Anastasia nods her head and heads back to the car. It was a forty-five or so minute drive back and they'd broken the six hour drive up into two days for the simple reason of not wanting to confine the ten year old in a car that long. Now the doctor was facing the consequences of said choice since her conference began later in the afternoon and there would be a rush for her to get checked in.

Adriana appears behind the old titan she waves at her mother while the woman drive away a grin on her face. Rhea looks down at the small child. In her arms is one of the cats she's fostering. "So what do you have your mother so worried on?" She questions, the little girls expression drops.

"I think something bad is going to happen to my brother. Something horrible is coming." Rhea takes a moment. She watches as Adriana shifts uncomfortably on her feet. The woman sighs.

"Let's go inside for now, I think that perhaps a storm is brewing." She ushers them both inside, giving the girl no time at all to protest or to point out the fact there isn't a single cloud in the sky. It seemed they had much to discuss.

Over the summer she trained the girl, she realized what exactly the moirai had wanted with her granddaughter. Pulled from another world, thrown into this one. Rhea was the Titan queen so she knew that nothing was impossible, but still it was just so unlike the moirai to do something like this. It was a dangerous and reckless game the sisters were playing. The prophecy they'd given Poseidon made all the more sense when she learn this.

Destroy worlds indeed.

Hestia wasn't exactly sure what she had expected when she decided to visit her mother that morning. But it wasn't this at all. She eyes the young girl curiously, the feel of brewing storms and salt water comes off of the young child with her middle brother's eyes, but also the slight feel of wrapped reality and death. It seemed that both of her younger brother had tried to lay claim. It was rather hard to determine who the child belonged to. "Hello there." She coos at the small girl after a moment.

The girl blinks. Once, then twice before she responds. "Hi." It's muttered shyly and Hestia gets the feeling that the child was all to aware of who she was.

"Adriana, you know you aren't supposed to open the door." Her mother rounds the corner giving the girl a look to which the fiery red headed child rubs the back of her neck sheepishly. Rhea shakes her head at the child before turning to look at who was at her door. Hestia smiled softly at her mother. It was nice to see her acting like a grandmother.

"Hello mother." She greets with a smile. Rhea returns it and notions for her to come in.

"Hello darling. Adriana this is my eldest daughter Hestia. Your aunt." Adriana now named. Nods her head, those fiery red curls bouncing wildly. There was something familiar about the child that she couldn't shake. Something otherworldly. Lost and misplaced.

Hestia closes the door behind her half certain that the little girl would have followed close to her mother as the old queen turned from them. Instead she peered up curiously at Hestia, eyes wide and intransitive.

"Percy didn't tell me you were so beautiful." The little girl breathes in awe, and Hestia is taken aback for entire half second while she registers what was just said. The reason of familiarity made clear.

This was Poseidon daughter, the marked child.

Okay for the record Percy really needed to start describing these goddesses much better in his story telling because blah they were freaking beautiful. Wait he did mention something about her looking like a child. Honestly it was making my head hurt. Gods and their ability to shift their form, I could just claw my eyes out. Alright that was a little dramatic. But still, why did this keep happening to me.

"Adriana are you alright?" Rhea gave me a look, alerting me to her knowledge of my spacing out. As if i was going to try to sneak anything passed her. Please that just wasn't going to happen.

Because honestly sneaking things past my own mother was hard enough and she was the Titaness of freaking motherhood! Seriously, let's be realistic here folks.

I nod my head taking a bite of the muffin in front of me to avoid answering. She shakes her head with an amused smile. "I see. How are things in Olympus these days my dear? I never hear from any of the others. It seems your siblings have forgotten about their poor old mother." Rhea says sighing dramatically for effect. By the gods I almost choke on my food. This woman.

Hestia just rolls her eyes good naturedly. "Things are as you would expect, the sisters have given a new prophecy and tension is a bit high. I had hoped it would be over." She says wistfully, the worry clear in her ruby eyes. Strange. I wondered what prophecy she was speaking of.

Maybe something to do with the seven. Wasn't that what came next for this universe? Rhea's brow rose at that. "A new prophecy? What have the sisters seen now?" Her own voice wary as if she is afraid. Hestia's eyes soften as she looks over at me as if she's sorry for what she going to say. As if it is somehow going to affect me.

At that moment I didn't understand why she would give me such a sorrowful look. Not when I knew I had nothing to do with what was supposed to come next. But as per usual, I had forgotten. Forgotten how much my appearance would change everything. I was a fool.

"Beware the tide that rises, on a full set moon. Take heed of a child marked, a child from the depths of death. She will bring the heavens to their knees." As the words fall from Hestia's perfect lips. I realize two very important things.

The first was why she looked so sad. Because it all made sense then. There wasn't anyone else the prophecy could be referring to. No there wasn't another demi-god who could be both a child of the depths and death. I was the marked child. If the brand on my neck was any indicator of the fact.

"Adriana?" Rhea's calm soothing voice catches over the raging metaphorical waves caused by my emotions. I know without looking at my face that the fear I feel, the uncertainty, all of it is all across my features.

"I'm going to be sick." I mutter pushing myself from the table and rushing down the hallway to the bathroom. Slamming the door behind me and I fall to the ground, my back pressed against the door. I pull my knees to my chest.

The second thing I realized was a something I'd already knew. More a fleeting feeling than a realization. But it just was more prominent at that moment. A thought I'd been having for a while. By the gods I was screwed.

Utterly and completely fucked. Not even in the good way. Oh no, I probably would have much more preferred that. Because this. This was so much worse.

How could I have been so naive? Fuck.

Oh gods, this was getting really heavy. That was not my intention. To be this obtuse this early on. You know what let's take a moment. I believe in an earlier entry I was telling you about the first of school the year everything changed. Well not really changed, more like started. The prophecy, my prophecy was no longer just a whisper. No longer waiting to begin. Because with that new school year would come the start.

Just a moment, so I can catch my bearings and then we will have resume with ten year old Adriana. Maybe. Ten year old Adriana while entertaining is horribly pessimistic and overy dramatic. Perhaps a break was in order. Yeah, let's take a break from her. Instead we will focus on what I was saying about the new school year.

Stefan Salvatore started school the fall semester after after Elena Gilbert's parents died. Four whole years after my mother joined the realm of the dead. Shit! I wasn't supposed to tell that part yet. Not yet.

I did say my mother would fight for me until her last breath.

It was all my fault.

You know what let's just take a step back. We aren't quite there yet.

I will admit, that perhaps I am in fact an awful narrator. Easily distracted. Jumping from topic to topic. But unfortunately that was just how it was going to be for me. I am a demigod. Unfortunately a lot of my quirks were hot wired in my blood, they were what kept me alive. Survival of the fittest.

Now, where were we. Oh right. First day of the new school year. Stefan Salvatore.

I'll be honest he wasn't all that to look at in person. Too broody, too sad, too much self hate for my taste. Honestly I couldn't fathom what the other girls saw in him. He was just so meh. Not the point. Sorry, like I said easily distracted.

Right. Focus Adriana. Stefan Salvatore, first day of school. You can do this. Tell the damn story.

"Adriana, are you even listening to me. I swear." Caroline's second exasperated huff draws forth the memory. It was a good place to start. The look of annoyance in her eyes. That slight fond smile she gives me whenever i've done something particularly amusing. I missed the innocence of back then.

I shrug my shoulders sheepishly. I wasn't interested in what she had to say. Not when I knew what the implication of him being here ment. Not when I knew just what was about to begin. All I could do was fear the oncoming storm. Vampires, Werewolves, and Witches on my.. I was a long way from the simplicities of camp half blood. Where the only thing I had to worry about was teaching swim lessons and beating Mr. D at pinochle.

He didn't often change up his tricks, and I had a great poker face. Having to lie about oneself ninety percent of the time would do that to a person.

"Spring wedding, settle vibes. yada yada bleh. Care he's not even that cute." I grumble, Caroline swats me playfully and we keep walking down the hall. At this rate we'd be late to history class. Not that I cared, Mr. Turner was a grade A douche and he got what he deserved.

Oh bad Adriana, you shouldn't say such things about poor murdered mortals. But like am I wrong? Besides the man always liked to call on me to read long ass passages knowing full well that I have dyslexia really bad. Like what the fuck man? So I wasn't a fan. Also he was a real spoiled sport during the spring semester when I schooled him on greek and roman mythology.

Adriana demigod extraordinaire 1. Douchebag history teacher 0.

"I forgot you haven't discovered the finer things in high school yet. Poor Adriana." I roll my eyes good naturally at her. Knowing full well that Caroline wasn't saying that to hurt my feelings. She pats my shoulder with fake sympathy.

I didn't get involved with the male population here. Mostly because I'd never be able to be fully honest about myself. A regular human wouldn't be able to handle my truth. Also I grew up with such over the top examples of love, Percy and Annabeth match made in heaven, any of the seven and their significant others, Hades and Persephone I mean the list could really go on. I'd been cheated out of the highschool whirlwind romances because of it though. Why settle when if I held out long enough I could find that person meant for me.

I didn't mind waiting.

"Well when you remember every male from preschool then they sort of loose the appeal." Caroline just giggled.

We were late to history. Neither of us could find it in ourselves to give a damn.

I officially met Stefan a few days later. I didn't do the whole party thing, it was a good way for a monster to get to me so I declined each of the ten different times Caroline begged me to come. My safety was more important than fulfilling the whims of a seventeen year old. Don't get me wrong, Caroline is my best friend I would go to war for her. But I wasn't about to do something I know is reckless and that could not only harm me but anyone else in my vicinity. Just because Hades was my grandfather and liked me didn't mean I was a hundred percent safe from monster attacks.

Being liked by two of the big three didn't account for the one percent that hated me. Especially when it was the king of the Olympians himself. Fucking Zeus.

I was still a kid of the big three, still Adriana West daughter of Poseidon. I was still a threat to the Olympians. They hadn't forgotten my prophecy. Zeus was constantly sending his minions after me in hopes of eliminating the threat to him. All the more reason to hate him. My uncle was a right bastard.

Right, getting off track again. The first time I met Stefan, was a lot like the first time I met the vampire King of the Quarter. Running frantically from a fucking monster that only myself and other supernatural creatures could see. I had just gone out for an early morning run, some light training, that was all I wanted. Maybe a nice swim later. But no… Of course I had to face off with some sort of wigged monkey. Why? Just.. Ugh. It just wasn't fair.

He saw me unleash my trident from the bracelet it concealed itself as, and skewer the damn monkey through the face. The monster turned to a golden dust, coating me it it. Disgusting. I noticed him a few seconds later still holding my trident cursing madly at the sky. Most days I was asking for it, if Zeus ever decided to just straight up smite me well I can't say I hadn't seen it coming.

Hell. I probably even deserved it.

"So." He draws, brow raised looking mystified at the trident. I wondered briefly if the mist actually had any effect on him. But then the look of strange fascination and relief banished that thought almost instantly. In returned I raised a brow at the rabbit in his hand and the blood around his mouth.

"Hiya. Nice rabbit." I state running my hand along the length of the shaft, the trident shifts back into the coiled bracelet on my right wrist. He looks down as if he just realized the rodent he'd been holding. As Stefan goes to make an excuse or you know whatever it was he was going to try to do I just wave a hand at him.

"I've known your secret since the first day of school, don't worry about it. Now if you'll excuse me I have monster dust and sweat all over me and would very much like to take a shower. Afterwards, if you want to discuss what you have discovered here or have any concerns I will be down by the falls." He looked so surprised that I used it against him and took off. I'm sure if he had wanted to catch me he would have.

I knew those woods like the back of my hand, so it didn't take long for me to come upon the path that would lead me back to my car and the main road. Trail running was a good workout and it also proved to be the safest course for me. Just in case anything like today happened. There were less witnesses if I ran in the woods.

True to my word after a quick shower and a snack I headed back to the falls. Stefan was there already, waiting for me I would presume. I wandered over to him slowly, stuffing my hands into the pockets of the light cardigan I'd pulled on before leaving the house. "Looking at you now, if i hadn't seen it I wouldn't have believed." He spoke, I nodded my head as that was the typical reaction I got when people learned of my demigod status. I was a pretty unassuming person, there was nothing truly remarkable about my appearance. Beside the wild red hair that was, I wasn't tall and lean like my brother, or super smart like Annabeth, I wasn't drop dead gorgeous like Caroline or a martyr like Elena. I was just me. A cheater perhaps, too callous at times, not particularly sympathetic, envious of mortals, and bitter.

The point here, was that when you looked at barely 5, 4 weighting maybe a hundred thirty pounds, a little on the curvy side Adriana West. You didn't stop and think wow that girl is a demigod. Most people didn't even look twice when they saw me. I played the role of normal human really well.

Sometimes I even had myself convinced. Just until something Olympian related or supernatural happened. Then the feeling was just gone like a huge slap to the face. Reminding me of how fucked I truly was.

I acknowledge his statement with shrug and a slight roll of my eyes when I stop next to him. "Same could be said about you. By the way, I'm obligated out of friendship to dish out this warning, under no circumstances is Elena ever to be used as food. I know you gotta eat bro but like take that crave elsewhere." He raised his brow looking at me skeptically. Then he just chuckles, huh, hadn't expected that.

"I don't 'eat' people anymore." Stefan does tell me seriously after though, to which I can only shrug my shoulders again. Who was I to argue with him? It was his life. His choice, even if it was pretty fucking stupid.

You didn't see the gods give a damn about the nectar supply. Why would they give a damn about it as long as it kept them alive? Vampires needed blood to survive, it was a universally known fact.

"That's on you man, warning still stands. Don't hurt my friend, any of them, and I won't be forced to skewer your sort of pretty face." Stefan stares at me for a long moment, perhaps trying to gage the level of my seriousness. Just so you know, I was a hundred percent serious. A trident to the face was never a nice experience for anyone, or at least it's what i've been told.

"Do they know?" I'm no fool so I realize what he's doing. I shake my head humoring him. "No." He gives me this look like he almost doesn't want to believe me. Stefan is entitled to his own thoughts, but I wasn't fit the record lying. The Scooby-Doo gang didn't know about what I was, the didn't know anything about demigods or the Olympians. Just like they at that point didn't know anything about vampires or witches.

As I said before, everything was going to change.

 **XOXOX**

 **So excited for this update! I'm back with this story! Hope you all enjoy it.**

 **Thanks you for reading, please let me know what you think!**

 **Sincerely, LaRae**


	5. Chapter 5

. **5, What Goes Up Eventually Comes Back to Bite You.**

So when I said we would be getting back to ten year old Adriana, I had had every intention of returning to that point of the story. Honestly I did. But, yeah there was a but, that just wasn't the case. You see this thing came up and then I remembered I'd already dished out some pretty hefty spoilers about what was to come. So I made the executive decision to just skip ahead a year and half.

First a recap. Just incase you haven't been following.

Eight year old Adriana West thought she was a normal kid, she enjoyed normal things. All of that changed the year before she'd turn nine when her step father Nathanial tried to drown her. Tried being the key word here folks since she would learn that she was the daughter of Poseidon and could breathe underwater. In light of that revelation she spent an entire summer in Hell, with her grandfather who also turned out to be Hades. Also she learned she had a half brother who was some kid of prophecy. The stint in hell landed her a meeting with the sisters fate where they were ever so lovely to meet and branded an eight year old child. A whole year past following that and nine year old Adriana grappled with the fact that not only was she reborn into a fictional world, oh no she was born into a merged fictional world that shouldn't have existed. Which resulted in a colossal meltdown, the aftermath of such meltdown led the small girl to meeting another one of her family members. This time her great/grandmother Titaness Rhea, queen of the Titans and Titan of motherhood. Rhea decided to train the girl privately to prepare her for the coming storm. And that's about it so far. Oh and also I was apparently going to be the ruin of Olympus…. Great.. Just fanfuckingtastic.

Now moving on, eleven nearly twelve Adriana.

I had just returned to camp, my third trip since the lake incident. My second trip had been almost as traumatic as the first as it was smack dab in the middle of everything I hadn't read. I won't bore you with the details since I was nothing more than a fly on the wall for it. There wasn't some big role I played, my presence didn't have some great significance, didn't drastically change anything.

Surprised? Yeah so was I. I truly believed that my presence here would do something drastic. Change something horribly. I am the perfect example of the butterfly effect, and murphy's law combined. Anything that could happen, would happen. Except this time it didn't. Yeah, I was just as confused as you are. But who was I to judge how the fates were writing my story.

The use of the word traumatic might have been a bit misguided and over dramatic of me. Apologies. Moving on, pay attention Adriana you are trying to tell a story. Twelve year old you, get back to the point.

Camp Half-Blood, third summer. Post the prophecy of the seven, start of the fall. Not like the season fall, but like you know a fall… fall? Ugh, not the point here. Anyway… summer, camp half-blood. Where to start.. Where to drop in the story…

"You alright there sis?" PERCY! Yes a starting point, this I can work with. I can do this.

One blink, followed by two, then sudden realization of the facts. I have been caught. Spacing out, again, for like the third time in the last two days. Percy raises a brow at me, eyes amused, almost distracting from the haunted undertone they held. He didn't talk about his trip in hell, just like I didn't talk about mine.

"...How long have you been there?" I finally manage after a moment. I'd taken up residence by the shore. Far enough to enjoy without getting wet, but close enough to smell the salt off the breeze. I had a love hate relationship these days with the ocean. But more on that later.

He chuckled, smirking down at me before half falling in the sand. Crossing his legs eyes looking out towards the skyline. "Not long. What's on your mind? You've been distracted since you got here two weeks ago. Elle said you've run into like six people today." I flush at his concerned tone thankful he's not looking directly at me then. That traitor, she promised not to say anything. But I'd let it go knowing that Elle was only looking out for me.

"I don't like the way the other campers look at me." He turns his attention to me then, frowning slightly, eyebrows furrowing.

"What do you mean?" I shift my gaze towards the sparkling waves, as the sun cast bright rays down on its surface. Slowly I shrug in response, pulling my knees up to my chest resting my chin between them, wrapping my arms around my legs.

"Like i'm some sort of plague or somethin'. It's not my fault, I didn't asked to be born into this life. I never wanted any of this." Which was true by the way. I'd wanted adventure and a life worth living. I never asked to die and be reborn as a fucking demi-god in a screwed up multiverse.

My prophecy, the one that stated I'd bring about the fall of the heavens had become public knowledge. People tended to look at you differently when they suspected you'd be the catalyst of some major world ending BS. It wasn't fair. I just wanted to live a normal as possible life for a demi-god and yet here we were.

Percy sighs, out of the corner of my eyes I see him run a hand through his scalp. He shakes his head. "They'll get over it Adi, don't let it get to you. Prophecies don't always happen like they're stated." I roll my eyes at his attempt to be reassuring, but i happened to know for a fact that they did.

Prophecies basically worked liked murphy's law.

Anything that could happened, would happen. Anything that might go wrong, will. Especially when it was me. When I was the thing in question. It always did.

I huff. "I fucking doubt it." He gives me a very disapproving look.

"Language." Percy warns. I ignore him. Like I usually did when he made a comment about my language. I was a full grown adult trapped in the body of prepubescent girl, I was allowed my right to curse like a sailor if I wanted to. Everyone else could kiss my ass.

"You don't understand, you are camps golden boy. Your dads favorite, and while I get it hasn't been easy for you. Shit I wouldn't say it's been easy for most of us. But the sisters didn't set you up to fail like they've done me. Right now to all of Olympus I am enemy number one. It's not the same." He doesn't stop my rant, he doesn't correct me or try to make any more comforting comments after that. Instead he just sits there and listens.

I appreciate more than he will ever know. I needed to get this stuff off my chest and who better to talk about it with than my brother. If I didn't have Percy's support all this time, I really don't know what i'd have done. He does wrap an arm around my shoulders pulling me into his side while I talk. Letting me know he's there, that I don't have to face this alone.

I take a breath and keep going.

"They branded me like a farm animal. Painted a nice target on my back, basically in bright neon lights. I can never even have a fantasy of a normal life again. Don't you see, for the rest of my life or when the prophecy comes to fruition I'll be looking over my shoulder. Just waiting for one of them to come and smite me." He rubbed my shoulders, my body was shaking. Resonating in fear.

I was afraid. Very afraid.

Percy looked down at the sleeping form of his little sister. He brushed a wild strand of her hair from her eyes before pulling the cover over her still quivering shoulders and standing from the bed. He'd carried her back form the beach, she'd been almost asleep and she didn't really weigh that much surprisingly. She was small for her age, but he'd been told that was a trait from her mother's side that was apparently a dominating gene.

"She asleep?" Annabeth questions when he meets her outside the cabin. A look of concern in her gray eyes. He nods.

"Fell fully on the walk back from the beach. Don't think it's restful though." He tells her as they walk. Making their way to the big house. Percy wanted to talk to Chiron about everything Adriana had said.

He needed to understand. Because right now he just didn't.

Chiron was waiting for them on the porch of the big house his eyes wary. As if he wasn't the least bit excited about the coming conversation. If Percy was being honest here, and he usually was a pretty honest guy. He really didn't care

"Why? Why did it have to be her?" He questions getting straight to the point. The centaur just sighed motioning for them to follow him into the house. Percy could feel Annabeth's concern, she reached out to touch him.

"It's complicated Percy." Chiron tries to warn but the young man shakes his head. Determination settles over him.

All the more reason to know.

The old centaur takes a deep breath. This was going to take a while. Because even he didn't know everything.

"Well it's a good thing we have time."

I dreamed of falling, endlessly, into deeper and darker places. Of despair, of voices crying, calling out, screaming for mercy, begging to be saved. If I stretched my arm out far enough, reach just a little more than I could almost touch the only trickle of light, but I never went for it. There was never a reason for me to grasp it.

In my dreams, I fell. Falling is weightless, it's empty, it's cold, terrifying and relieving all at once. I reveal in the feeling of the fall. It should have been the first clue. But falling feels a lot like flying and it was the only chance I was ever going to get.

But everything that goes up, must come down.

 _London bridge is falling down.._

When the ground breaks the cycle of the fall, coming fast into view. If this had been more than a dream then the impact would have shattered my bones like glass. If this had been more than just a dream I would be dead and nothing to come would have mattered. But this was simply a dream, nothing more than a false sense and everything to come was still looming around the corner. Waiting. Watching. Until the perfect opportunity to strike.

They say that demi-gods dreams have meaning, that there are warnings within them that we should pay close attention too. They say that demi-god dreams are actually nightmares and we should fear what we see. That the nightmares are real, and even in our dreams we aren't safe. They say a lot of things. I had this habit of not always listening. Ignoring. Forgetting.

It makes falling all the more dangerous.

 _Falling down, falling down.._

The screaming voices come to an abrupt stop. Silence, just before I hit the ground. Absolute silence. It's the most terrifying thing. Nothing, just calm eerie silence. I pull myself off of the voids floor.

 _London bridge falling down..._

"You are a long way from the shore daughter of Poseidon." A single voice breaks the silence, I swivel on my heel to face the direction from where the voice had come from. Only to find the spot empty.

A low growl imminates from my throat. Even in my dreams I wasn't safe from them. "Sandman." There was a low chuckle in the void, and then a shimmering face is inches from mine. Long fingers grasped my chin, digging into the skin of my cheek. Amusement danced in their eyes. What had I said about gods looking at you in amusement.

This wouldn't end well.

It never ended well.

 _Falling down, falling down.._

"You are far more perceptive than I realized little girl." He let go taking a step back the darkness slowly dissipating around us. I stand frozen, he circles me like a predator. Fear. It's the only emotion I am capable of feeling.

 _London bridge falling down.._

Then he stops. He reaches out, pulling a strand of my hair. His hand gentle contemplative. It was unnerving. I hold my breath. Because I have no idea how he will react or what purpose this meeting would serve.

"So many of the others want to see you hang." The amusement has carried over into his voice. He pulls on the strand jerking me around by my hair. We are face to face.

"It would be so easy, I could make it where you never woke up." His words set me over the edge, I can't move. He leans forward once again inches from my face. Taking in the terrified expression, marveling at the panic he has induced over me. Revealing in the control he has here. The Sandman sighs standing straight, boredom falls over his glittering face.

"But that would be boring. I want to see how to plays out." He tells me, expression going flack his tone dry. I knew instinctively then that this wouldn't end well. It couldn't

The god of dreams face shifts, into something haunting and laughs. "Beware the fall." It's cryptic and chilling the way he says it, eyes knowing harrowing through me. His hand reaches out resting flat against my collar bone.

Morpheus, the god of dreams pushes me back into the abyss. The last thing I see before the small amount of light fades is golden eyes and a wolfish grin.

 _Falling down. Falling down.._

I woke up in a cold sweet, sitting up frantically a hoarse scream catching in my throat. My hand went to gasps at my racing heart. What just happened?

 _London bridge is falling down…_.

The cabin door slams open. Percy shoots in. Eyes wide and alert. Panic clear in them. He makes eye contact with me and quickly closes the distance between the door and my bed. I throw myself into his arms as soon as he's close enough. Gross sobs wrecking through my core.

I wasn't safe. Nowhere was safe.

 _My fair lady.._

Percy rubbed small circles over the middle of her back. Listening carefully for her breathing to even out. The eighteen year old didn't know what to do. This was more complicated than he thought it was going to be. What Chiron had told him didn't make sense.

None of it made sense.

She was just a little girl. The olympians after everything he'd done for them should be satisfied. Why were the sisters playing this game? Why did they have to drag his little sister into it? It might have been selfish and wrong but there were a lot of other demi-gods to choose from. Why did it have to be her?

She was the only godly sister he had. Adriana was his responsibility, his to protect and care for. How was he going to protect her from this?

As much as he wanted it to be true, he knew the chances of a prophecy not coming to fruition were slim. Especially ones about the kids of the big three. They never stood a chance.

He gives her another moment, waits until the sound of sobbing stills. Percy lets her pull herself together, gather her bearings, and come to terms with whatever she'd just been shown before asking. Demi-god dreams weren't fun for anyone.

It takes a few few more minutes. But eventually her breathing levels. She pulls away from him rubbing at her red rimmed eyes, wiping tears off her cheeks. Adriana hiccups as she goes to speak, so he waits as she takes another deep breath.

But she doesn't speak. Instead she gets quiet. Strangely quiet, her eyes fixate in her lap and she won't look at him. She lets her hair fall into her face obstructing her vision, as if t will shield her somehow. Percy decides to take a more forward approach. Because letting her make the first move didn't seem to be working.

"Talk to me little duck." He says while brushing one of her wild curls from her eyes. Adriana puffs her cheeks at him. She hated when he called her that. Which he did often because she tended to remind him of small uncertain baby ducks.

"Beware the fall." She mutters what sounds to be some kind of warning lowly. Adriana runs a hand through her scalp pushing the rest of her hair out of her vision. Taking a moment before meeting his eyes.

"I had an unexpected visitor in my dreams, he wanted to deliver that warning." He takes the information she gives. Glad she feels comfortable enough with him to be honest about what had happened. Percy was a smart guy he could figure out who visited her later. Instead he chooses to focus on the warning and the restless look in his little sisters eyes.

He suspected a lot of sleepless nights to come for the both of them. Or at least until they could figure out a way to make it a lot harder for the gods to invade her dreams. It was something worth a shot. Percy was pretty sure there was at least one Hypnos kid around he could ask.

The words echo in his head, and he thinks for a moment of the dark truth in them. From his own experience and what he knew of the prophecy they'd given her.

Falling seemed to be a common trend these days.

The next chance he got, he was going to make sure she had the proper training with her trident. Percy wasn't about to see his sister die at the hands of anything greek that tried for her head. Not on his watch. No sir, it wouldn't be happening while he was around.

Spoiler alert. Sorta.

For the record if you were wondering about Percy's capabilities with most battle weapons he was a mound of pure natural skill and talent. With that in mind. Fighting with a trident was not something that came easily to him. There was a lot of forethought, consideration, and intent that went into wielding the three pronged weapon. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying he can't do those things, because that's not what I was saying. Percy was by far one of the most skilled, if not the most skilled demi-god alive.

What I am saying is that trident fighting was just not quite his style. It didn't mean he didn't try. Just that it didn't come as naturally to him as fighting with Riptide did. Now on the other hand, fighting with the trident was almost like breathing to me. But it all boiled down to the facts. That a lot of my 'natural' talent or supposed 'genius' came down to me being a cheater.

I'd acquired the skill of trident wielding in my last life. It had been a dare, one of my roomates bet I couldn't do it and well.. I loved proving people wrong.

So after the disastrous realization from yesterday that not even in my dreams was I safe, first thing the next morning Percy pulled my sorry ass out of bed and declared that we were going on a walk. Walks with Percy usually led us to one of three places, the beach, the dining pavilion or the cliff. That morning the destination seemed to be the secluded cliff.

On the way to what I'd consider our spot, Percy told me of his plans to help me survive my apparent doom. I didn't know how well taking to one of Hypnos' kids would be since it was the gods son that threatened me in my dreams but I'd let Percy try. No point not too. His next agenda was to see how far my training had come since last summer and too see what exactly the benefits of having a Titan train you were. While Rhea being my school year teacher wasn't common knowledge to most people father had told Percy.

When we reached the clearing right before the threes fully broke to the cliffs edge Percy stopped. I raised my brow at him. He just smirked, eyes that mirrored mine swimming in amusement.

"This is where we are going to train today. I figured since you were worried about the others, that this would be a good starting point." I nodded. He'd concidored my rant when making the decision of where we would start. Don't care what anybody has to say about him, Percy was a damn good brother.

He couldn't fight the smile when I bluttered that out either. My brain to mouth filter, or the absence of one getting to me.

"Dam good eh?" From the way he says it, I'm pretty sure there is an inside joke here that I don't quite get. I'll ask Annabeth for clarification later. She usually knew what was going on. So for now I just make a face at him and huff willing him to get to the point of dragging me halfway up the cliff.

Percy clears his throat, that stupid goody smirk still on his face. He crosses his arms and starts his explanation of what we are going to do today. "I know you've been training with grandma, but I need to figure out what level you fall in at. So little duck, you up for a friendly sibling spar." I swear his smirk on deepens when I just grin back at him.

"If you think you're ready for it kelp face." Hey if we couldn't call each other aquatic related nicknames or insults then no one could. Percy makes a dramatic display placing a hand over his heart.

"You're going down little urchin." I glare at him, since he liked to make fun of my height to go along with the name calling. Jerk.

"Rules?" I question while getting into a defensive stance. In all reality I had the advantage here, i'd knew how he fought from what i'd read and what i'd seen in person. Percy didn't have that advantage.

Alright who the fuck are you trying to kid Adriana. You were so going to lose this fight. Percy is an experienced fighter, and you are a tiny eleven year old girl. But you couldn't help the grin that worked it's way over your face as he explained there were no rules. Because you might lose this fight but it was going to fun.

Most demi-gods dreamed of getting a chance to have a one on one with Percy Jackson.

For the record I did lose, but that didn't mean Percy hadn't had to work for his win.

Percy carried me back down the cliff after I managed to sprain my ankle. Which meant we were now going to have to pay a visit to Will before heading to the dining pavilion. The golden haired son of Apollo was not amused, he raised a brow at Percy when we entered the nurse? station. I don't know what they called it but that was what it was.

"Do I want to know where the two of you have been?" Percy just grins at his friend shaking his head.

"Probably not, got a moment to wrap a sprained ankle and a spare crutch?" Will just sighs at us boh and then nods. He makes motion for Percy to set my on the examining table.

"Did you trip again?" Will does ask while he wraps my ankle. I couldn't help that i had moments of clumsiness that no one ever wanted to let me live down. So you can imagine that my face flushes as bright as a tomato at the mention.

I cross my arms over my chest, and turn my nose away from him. Will just chuckles at me. Percy snorts, I do narrow my eyes at him. Traitor.

"Alright all set, try not to put too much pressure on your ankle for a few days and you'll be fine." He hands me two crutches and then helps me off the table. Such a gentleman, it was easy to see what Nico saw in him. I'm sure the fact he was pretty helped too.

"Got it. Now can we get lunch I skipped breakfast this morning." "We'll see you later Will." Percy says while ushering me out of the room.

I realize half why to the pavilion that we never cleared the air about the cause of my sprained ankle. Will would forever believe i'd just tripped. The embarrassment.

They really weren't going to let me live it down.

 **XOXOX**

 **I think we will stop here for now. Please let me know what you think! Thank you so much for reading.**

 **Sincerely, La'Rae**


	6. Chapter 6

. **6, Where the River Dies to Meet the Sea.**

All good and beautiful things come to abrupt ends. Daylight falls to dusk, fire turns to ash. Tears dry as tracks on flesh, petals wither and fade. At the end of everything there is nothing, no one. You cannot even begin to fathom the depth of how I was feeling, the amount of tears I have cried. How I begged, and screamed, pleaded, and bartered that day. As always, my prayers and tears fell upon deaf ears. Where they would continued to go unheard, unanswered, and ignored.

My mother was dead.

There are no words to describe, to tell, to give apt justice to how that feels. No measure of lengths, no explanation could properly convey how I felt. Nothing I could say would ever be enough. How does a person describe loss? How do I convey sorrow without making just words?

Words. To many to count. Words, left unsaid. Promises broken. In the end they're just words. How do I go forward? How do I make her memory more than just words? Tell me. Please.

Anastasia West might not have been perfect. She had her faults, we all do. But she was my mother and I love her more than anything or anyone else. I still needed her even if it hadn't always seemed like it. Even when I'd shut her out. I needed her, I've always needed my mother. Now...now she just gone.

She was gone… Nothing would bring her back. I wasn't getting her back.

Deaf ears.

The worst part of it all, or at least it was the part I'd chosen to focus on. Is that her death hadn't been caused by the gods. I wish it had been Greek. I wish I could have added this, added her death to ever growing list of reasons. Reasons why I hated them. But no, this wasn't even their doing. They hadn't done this. It wasn't their fault.

I couldn't blame them for this. The only person who I could blame was myself.

At some point I'd learn to quit asking questions. In my last life I'd always wondered what Jules had done.Who exactly she killed? How had she triggered her curse? Because from watching the show she seemed like a normal girl, the whole werewolf thing aside. I regretted ever wondering.

Mother's death would be attributed to injuries sustained during a collision. It shouldn't have been this way it shouldn't have ended like this. All she'd done was come to pick me up from camp at summer's end. We were going to visit Rhea, stay in New York a few days longer and then drive back to Virginia. We'd made similar trips before. It should have been fine, just a quick visit to grandma's, something fun and simple before school started back. Nothing was ever that easy.

Murphy's law, like I'd said. Anything that could go wrong. Would.

It was a hit and run. We'd stopped at a gas station just a few hours to home, just after sunset. I'd wanted to run inside to use the bathroom and get a candy bar. A car comes barrelling through the parking lot at speeds higher than necessary, swerving slightly, driving under the influence of something. Of course I had chosen that moment to cross to the building not at all paying attention to my surroundings. My mom did, she had always payed attention, she managed to get to me in just enough time to push me out of the path of the vehicle. She just wasn't quick enough to get herself out of the way.

The driver didn't break, didn't attempt to stop. She just bulldozed mom down. Not even noticing. Out of state driver. They never caught her.

But just before the car was completely passed, just before what happened registered to me I'd caught a glimpse of the woman who took my mother away from me. I knew her face. That's not something I would ever be able to forget. Oh no, I burned the imagine of it into my brain. It was all I could do, commit to memory and remind myself she would get what was coming to her.

Even if I had to see to it myself.

"Adriana." I glance up slowly. It takes a moment to register the spoken word, to register my name on his lips. Perhaps it's the cause of the concern in his tone, the way his sea set eyes peer into me, or the obvious tear stains on his cheeks that startles me. That cause me to sit their silently. Ignoring him.

I twist my fingers around the dark long sleeves, knotting them in the soft fabric. Rhea had helped me pick out this dress. Not quite a solid black but still dark in color. Mom hated it when I wore black. She'd remind me that I was the daughter of the sea not hell, as if it were some kind of joke. I guess it had been.

Until they, the gods that is, could figure out what to do with me I was staying with Rhea. It had been father's suggestion, since I was a child, practically an orphan and had the potential to destroy everything. I couldn't complain, couldn't disagree, all I could do was go with it.

After another long interval of silence, just watching him observe me I realize that I have nothing to say. There are no words I want to give him. My father had long since abandoned me. I hadn't seen hide or hair of him in over six months. So I continue in my silence, blinking owlish at him with uninterested eyes. He waited patiently for me to answer even though we both knew I wouldn't. It should have mattered, his presence here, but quite frankly I couldn't find it in myself to give a damn. I just didn't care.

x

Poseidon crouched down to his daughter's level. He took in her cold uncaring eyes, they reminded him of the dark depths and deep trenches. There was a certain countance to it, lifeless, faraway. Wherever his daughter had gone it wasn't here. The aspects of it had settled over her, taking over.

Slowly, cautiously, because he's not certain how she'll react he reaches for her hands. Prying them away from tangled fabric and wrapping his own large hands around them. Adriana's hands are as cold at her eyes, the feel reminding of the Antarctic. If he's being honest with himself there not much about her current state that doesn't somehow remind him of his domain. With the exception of her initial breakdown, which had gone as expected, Adriana withdrew becoming this shell of his daughter. Like a seemingly still ocean, calm and fine on the surface but you wouldn't want to get in the waters because the backlash of the rip currents would pulled you in without warning carrying you far out to sea.

The ocean was a dark and dangerous place.

He couldn't wait any longer. A sigh falls from his lips, he shakes his head solemnly at her. "Adriana, it's time to go."

She doesn't respond, he hadn't expected her too. Doesn't acknowledge that he's spoken. Adriana just continues to stare blankly at him, unmoving, eyes set. He does his best not to get irritated with her here. Tries to remind himself that she's lost her mother, that this is how some humans grieve. But all he can think about is how there time is almost up and he needs to get her back to his mother before the others decide to say something.

Poseidon breathes another sigh, this one is deep and impatient. He releases his hold on her cold hands, stands and then takes a slight step back. It had come to this then. While she watches him with the same indifference he leans forward and with great skill scoops her into his arms. She doesn't react, doesn't complain, all she does is bury her head into his neck.

He doesn't say anything about the silent tears she cries into his shoulder, or the dampness of his dress shirt. Instead he rubs small circles on Adriana's back as he carries her away from her mother's grave. Vowing silently that the one responsible for this tragedy would pay. Severely.

They would come to know the mercilessness of the ocean.

x

I think that perhaps we forgot. Forgot how truly vicious and violent the ocean could be. Is. That rip currents, devastating depths, and crushing waves were the cause of thousands of deaths every year. We have forgotten, or ignored the other titles given to the King of the Sea.

Because King wasn't the only title given to him. Try Stormbringer, or Earthshaker. Each name inspired by the travesties he could cause. The seas were a lot like their master, they weren't know to show consideration or mercy. If you managed to slight the usually chill god then you would undoubtedly feel the oceans relentless wrath.

As his child, I had inherited that same wrath. It was so surprise that in my grief I'd gone straight to it. To anger and bargaining, and when pleading and begging had proved in vain I'd gone right back to being angry. Anger with long intervals of crushing desperation and depression.

Rhea handled my sudden outburst, my rage, all of my conflicting and raging emotions gracefully. She never returned them with animosity or ill will. Never fought fire with fire, she took in in stride. There was no anger from her, she was a damned saint always patient with me. Understanding. Taking the shifting of the tide easily. The entire time I was in her care she never made me feel bad for how I processed the grief.

I was lucky. So lucky, because I hadn't deserved it. I didn't deserve her love and kindness. She didn't seem to care giving it to me freely.

She made me feel loved. Cared for in a way that I so desperately needed. When she looked at me, she didn't just see another nameless demigod, or the marked child, or the apparent ruin of the universe. When Rhea looked at me, she saw me. Saw me for who I really was. She saw the broken and lost child i'd become. Scared, alone, she didn't see something to fear or push away. Rhea saw the truth, she always had. The truth of it was, simple, I was a twelve year old girl who needed my mother.

Through all of my anger, through all of my pain, loneliness. Rhea saw me. She saw me. You have no idea how important it is to be seen. In a world of gods and monsters, of demigods and prophecies. There are so many times when you will be dragged out to sea, forgotten, alone. So for someone to see you, to validate your existence, to care. Someone who actually give a damn about you. It helps, it means more than you could ever realize.

To be seen as more than just a demigod, to be seen as more than just Poseidon's daughter, the marked child. That goes a really long way. It saves you from forgetting what's important. From losing yourself. As long as you have that one person, the one person who realizes you are still human. Then you can't really let yourself fall completely. Having someone to come back to, something to protect, it gives purpose to an otherwise meaningless life.

Knowing that. Seeing what Rhea had become to me, knowing what I was to her. That there was someone out there who would fight for me, stand on my side. Like my mother. It was what I needed to get through this. To process and figure out how to go forward. I had to get through this.

There wasn't any other option. I didn't have a choice.

I was the daughter of the sea. I couldn't very well drown in my own grief no matter how much I wanted to. Drowning wasn't something I could just do. My mother would have wanted me to keep swimming, to keep my head above the racing waters.

With all of that in mind, my resolve to get stronger grew. I wouldn't allow myself to be the cause of lost lives. My own reckless abandon wasn't going to take anymore loved ones from me.

There was a storm coming, and I wouldn't be caught unprepared. No I would be ready. When the gods, or whoever else tried to come for me came they wouldn't find a small creek. Nor a calm river, not even the raging waters of the ocean. That's not what they would find when they came. What they'll find is a full blown hurricane.

I wouldn't let them break me.

Right now we were the eye, a nice lull but it wouldn't stay calm for long. When the winds broke, and the tides rose, the sky darkened, I would be ready for it. For them. Zeus didn't want to see me live, not when I could be the cause of his destruction and I wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of seeing me drown.

He might not have been responsible this time. But that didn't mean he didn't have a hand in other aspects of my life. I knew full well how much he would love to see me suffer. To drown. My uncle was a dick, he was the god I hated most of all. Little did he know that as much as he wanted to see me drown, I wanted to see him fall.

That was the thing about prophecies, the funny ironic thing about them that Percy hadn't realized. That no one had realized. Prophecies were affected by your direct action in regards to them. They were shaped and formed based on what the fates knew, what they saw. The sisters knew my brother would be a hero, they knew he'd be the saviour of Olympus and when they pulled me from my world and placed me in this universe they knew.

I didn't give a damn about the gods. That if they pushed, and prodded and ignored me just enough. Well then, I would gladly see them fall. Even if it meant pushing them over the side of that damn mountain myself. It was what made Percy and I so different.

He was born to be a hero, a warrior, a saviour. I was never going to be a hero.

The irony was that they were so busy worried about what I would do, so caught up in the oncoming storm that they didn't see the solution, didn't see that they were already in it. Didn't realize how easy it would have been to stop it, to avoid the fall. That how they proceeded to treat me, to treat their children, how even despite all my brother had done, despite all we had done for them they would still just ignore our existence. These were the things that I would consider when I made my final choice, about whether or not I was going to see Olympus to ruin.

I can imagine the looks on your faces, the surprise etched across your features. That you are appalled and concerned because you thought this was going to be a fun and happy tale. That you thought I was going to be a cheerful and funny narrator. That you believe this story would paint a nice bright picture. Or you thought this would be a simple story about a nice girl, about a resilient demigod who loved her father unconditionally. I'm sorry to have disappointed you, I apologize for the misguidence on my part that I perhaps led you to believe these things. But I think that I should clear the waters for you.

This is not a fun or happy tale, not really. I am not always a cheerful and funny narrator, that this is not the nice bright picture you thought it would be. Every story has it's darkness. That nothing is ever so simple, that sometimes fathers don't deserve unconditional love. Those things I will take full responsibility for, as I know that I am not always the best story teller.

However, I will not apologize for being human and having these feelings and thoughts. If you cannot handle these truths, if the depths are too dark for you too uncertain then go no further. Everything past this point was uncharted waters. Murky and uncertain. There is darkness, sorrow yes but there is also light, acceptance. Still so much to come.

I told you, everything was going to change. Even the river as it meets the sea had to change, to adapt. We all do.

The end, and the beginning were just one and the same.

Just too bad we weren't quite there yet.

I promise we would eventually get to all of these things I keep alluding to. But right now just wasn't the time. Instead I think I reign back in to the present. The current problem at hand. What were the olympians going to do with me?

Because staying with Rhea long term wasn't something they were in favor of. The reality of it was when the other (Zeus) realized that the Titan queen was not only familiar with me but had been training me they weren't happy. Some bullshit about favoritism and giving me a better hand, that it wasn't fair to the other demigods. All that I know is it was a load of shit. Rhea is my grandmother, she's an important part of my life. She keeps me grounded. They weren't just going to get to take her from me.

Apparently she felt the same way, i've never seen another person call Zeus out on his crap so quickly. Then again this was his mother, this was the woman he could thank for his life. He owed her everything she made sure that he hadn't met the same fate as his siblings. She was the cornerstone of what made the Olympian's great, and she wasn't about to be told what to do. So they would come to learn.

Actually instead of just telling you what would happen why don't we take a look. It's been six months since my mother's untimely demise. I was adjusting. Gone back to school, Rhea thought it would be the best course. To reintroduce normality, to get back into a routine. Believe it or not it did actually help. I have great friends. But i'm getting off track, stick with the story you are telling Adriana. Rhea's displeasure with her children.

Perhaps I should feel guilty. If I didn't exist then none of this would have happened. If I didn't exist she'd still be on good terms with her youngest. But if I'm being honest, and I usually tried to be. I didn't feel an ounce of regret.

The day the gods decided what they were going to do about me started out normal. Just a regular morning, Rhea made breakfast while I got ready for school. Then all the sudden my father appeared in the middle of the kitchen, he looked less than pleased. He had the face of someone who was going to deliver devastating news. My grandmother took one look at his face and shook her head.

"No." She'd told him as I entered the room. I muttered a small greeting to my father before taking a seat at the table where I was given a plate.

"Mother please." Rhea did that thing that a lot of southern woman did when they weren't happy. Her brow rose and she tossed the hand towel she'd been holding over her shoulder, crossing her arms over her chest. My eyes drifted between them. I was only slightly confused.

"Absolutely not." Her tone firm, she wasn't about to play.

"You don't even know what I was going to say." He tries looking only slightly annoyed with her. Rhea's brow just raises higher.

"Your sister keeps me informed Poseidon. I am not a fool. If your brother thinks I will allow such a thing to happen then he is clearly misinformed." My father's expression does this thing that i've never seen. He looks conflicted, in a manor that tells me he agrees with whatever point my grandmother has made but he wishes he didn't.

"Mother there are rules." At that she turned her full attention on me, giving me a small reassuring smile. Ignoring him completely.

"Adriana finish your breakfast, Dr. Gilbert will be here soon to pick you up for school." I give a small nod finishing my muffin before standing up.

"I'm done, I'm gonna wait outside." She just smiles ushering me away with a wave of her hand.

Except we both know that I want go outside to wait. Dr. Gilbert didn't pick me up for school, the Gilberts only brought me home. Mom usually drove me and Care to school and then Dr. Gilbert usually picked us all up from school. It was just what we did. Rhea knows that, she knows that whatever my father wants from her he'll keep beating around the bush if i'm present and want tell the whole truth since it's about me.

She's given me permission to eavesdrop and I wasn't going to miss the chance to figure out what was going on.

Now you are probably thinking, he's a god Adriana he's going to be able to sense you haven't left the building. While that was a very valid point, and if I was anyone else then it could have stood to be true. But I wasn't anyone. I am Adriana West, the marked child which gave me an edge. I know things.

I know that with the right items, you could in fact conceal your presence from a god. I'd always had a little help from one of Hecate's sons. Ezra, he's one of the few people i'd made friend with at camp. Him and Ella. And lets just say that as Hecate's son he'd discovered a few tricks. It was a good idea to befriend people who had similar ideas as yourself. Just like me Ezra didn't like to play by the olympians rules.

When Morpheus had decided to be a right douche and invade my dreams like a super creep. Percy being the great older brother he was took it upon himself to help me find a way to protect myself. The solution, had been a magical enchanted locket from the Hecate cabin. A locket that all it took to work was a drop of my blood or a strand of hair. I usually went with the strand. Now you're probably thinking what was Ezra doing with that, and honestly I didn't give a fuck.

Not if it meant I could sleep peacefully, or you know eavesdrop on my dad. Besides having the necklace would come in handy later. I also knew that Ezra whatever he was doing with my hair wasn't something that would hurt me. He wasn't like that.

Out of the three of us, I was probably the most unhinged and liable to do something drastic. But not the point.

I deposited a strand of my hair into the locket closing it back quickly and utter a silent prayer to the goddess. Then I went through the motion of opening the front door and closing it. Gotta love the theatrics of a twelve year old.

I knew the inside and out of Rhea's house better than anyplace else, so I also knew there was this really great place to hide just behind the bookcase that lined the wall with the kitchen. A secret hollowed out spot Rhea had for the cats. Just big enough for me to squeeze into. Sometimes being smaller than average paid off. There were certain privileges to being short. If I made any accidental noise she could in fact brush it off as one of the kittens.

"This isn't up for discussion mother." My father's voice is impatient, I'd missed what Rhea had said in response to his comment earlier.

x

"If it was my daughter, or daughters in question, you'd find that I would fight tooth and nail for her. Not for what is 'right', not what is expected. You and your brothers righteousness , so entitled. I think you have forgotten who exactly fought for you to have those nice thrones and titles." Rhea sethes. She's angry. She doesn't understand why this is the course of action her sons want to take. As if doing this solves the problem.

It's why she'd sent Adriana out of the room. She needed to get to this point with her son, because he wouldn't be honest if his daughter was sitting right there. Surely Poseidon could see how barbaric this was.

"We haven't forgotten mother." She scoffed at him. Poseidon kept going.

"But this isn't like that. This is different. Adriana is my daughter, I have no intention of letting anyone hurt her. With that is mind, she can't keep living with you. The others won't have it." She rolls her eyes putting her hands on her hips. He might have had a part in the creation of the girl but she wasn't his daughter.

"Tell me my son, when was the last time you looked at that girl really looked at her. When was the last time you had a conversation with her. I love you, I have moved mountains and fought giants for you. I know you better than you know yourself, I carried you in my womb, and your father still ripped you from my arms. If you continue down this path of compliance, of fear then the same will happen to you. Your daughter who you barely know, you will lose her and any future chance to be apart of her life. She needs you." Rhea took a step around his slightly boiling frame, she pulled out one of the dining chairs. There was no need for her to keep standing.

"Dammit! Stop this! Be reasonable!" He slammed his hands down on the table, in his eyes were remnants of brewing storms. She crossed her arms over her chest.

"Please." His voice broke here, she knew she finally gotten it across.

"I'm sorry my son, but my answer is final. I will not hand her over to you, or your brothers. None of you have been given the right to dictate her future like this. She is a child, not soldier. Not a plaything or a toy. Besides where else will she go? No human or minor god could keep her safe not when most of the olympians would see her harm. You can tell your brother my answer, and tell him that any action against Adriana West until she is of age I'll take as a personal offense. Goodbye my son." Rhea waved her hand at him, dismissing him. Proving to Poseidon once again that they didn't give their mother enough credit. She was a fearless protector, and even though he was not happy with the outcome of this visit because he knew the repercussions this would cause. Especially with his younger brother. He was happy that Adriana had his mother on her side.

After Poseidon had gone Rhea got up from the table. She heard a strangled sob about the same time her son had decided to raise his voice. Adriana had more than likely left her hiding place, with only a faint signature of the girl and pretty good idea where the child would have run off too Rhea headed out of the kitchen.

x

I didn't want to believe it. I couldn't believe it. They wanted to lock me away, to hide me from the world. So that I never even go the chance. That I couldn't get strong enough, that I wouldn't be a problem. And the worst fucking part was that it had been my own fathers suggestion. All of them, every single last one of them were cowards afraid of a tiny twelve year old girl.

The only comfort I had was Rhea, she wasn't about to let them. I had the feeling the Fates would step in if the gods did something to interfere with what they had planned for me. But I didn't want it to come to that. No one wanted it to come to that.

"Adriana I know you are out here sweetie." Rhea's clear calm voice called over the garden. When father had raised his voice I'd bolted, I didn't want to be anywhere near that storm. I'm not surprised she found me so quickly even with the locket active Rhea always knew how to find me.

She wandered over to where I'd taken up residence in front of a small koi pond. Settling in the grass next to me easily, she ran a hand through my hair and I leaned into her side. "Fear makes men do terrible things. But we must be stronger than them to show that there is nothing to fear." Rhea tells me still running her fingers through my hair. I make no move to respond. I just sit there withered into her side trembling.

"And if they cannot see reason, if they cannot come to understanding and compassion. Then it is are job to make them. If that doesn't work, then you show them what they should have been afraid of instead." There isn't a single ounce of regret in her voice as she tells me this. Even knowing what the implications of her words mean.

I think that many forget who was really the cause of Kronos' first fall. That in history and mythology that all the credit goes to Zeus. In reality, Zeus would have been just as eaten like the rest of his siblings if it hadn't been for Rhea.

Rhea burned Kronos' kingdom down with one simple act. She spared the life of her youngest son, hid him away and raised him to defeat his father. The olympians, the world, everyone forgot, but I knew. I realized that she was the one responsible. Her words resonate deep within me.

 _Make them see reason. Or give something to truly be afraid of._

 **XOXOX**

 **Alright I think this a wrap for this chapter. There is a lot going on here. Hopefully it's not too confusing to read. Please let me know what you think. Thank you for reading!**

 **Have a wonderful day!**

 **Sincerely, La'Rae**


	7. Chapter 7

**.7, The House of the Rising Son.**

I was fourteen when I was given my first quest. The gods had not been pleased. But they could go and fuck themselves. Over the last year and a half I had become distant from them, distant from their ways. Already now I was withdrawing from them preparing myself for what was to come. I hated them. Sometimes I still do.

My quest was to go chase down some rumor in New Orleans about witches. Yes, you heard that right, witches. Not even the good kind that followed Ezra's mom or her other kids. No like freaking vampire diaries witches. Witches. Luckily I got to take Ezra and Elle with me. So there was a plus side.

Everything was going as expected up until I got seperated from them in the middle of the damned french quarter. We were following up a lead when all of the sudden a fucking hydra appeared. You know I wasn't sure what the mortals saw through the mist because how in the hell could you miss a fucking hydra!? ANd naturally being the strongest smelling demi-god among the three of us it went after me, chasing me through the damn quarter until I could find a nice secluded place to kill it.

I had said this was how I met the king of the quarter. When I'd finally managed to get to a place where I could decimate it, just as I'd manages to subdue the creature he made his presence known.

"Impressive." I turn on my heel quick, trident still in hand ansy and ready to strike. I was still in fight mode. It wasn't a good idea to sneak up on a demigod. Our flight or fight senses were not to be messed with.

Marcel looked every bit as the show had made him. I couldn't help but to gape at him a little, he was attractive and I was finally at an appropriate age to think that. It takes me a moment but I huff indignantly at him, not lowering my weapon in the slightest. He was a vampire, a vampire I didn't know and therefore didn't trust.

"I could have skewered you." I tell him, he raises a brow.

"I am aware little demigod. You ran a long way to take that thing out." He points out casually stuffing his hands in his jackets pockets. Did vampires get hot? I wondered briefly, getting distracted by the prospect for a second. Because it was hot as the fields of punishment and I was melting. Although that could have been from all the running.

"Couldn't risk it hurting a mortal. You on the other hand, well I can't say I'd give the same care to you." He just laughed as if he thought the concept was entertaining as if he didn't realize exactly who's demigod child he was looking at. In his defense he didn't. You couldn't tell by looking at me I was Poseidon's daughter, but i'd already explained that.

"Oh I wouldn't doubt it. Now why don't you put the trident away and you and I can have a conversation about what you and your companions are doing in my town." All I can do is grin madly at him.

"I'll be keeping my trident, but I don't mind talking. Besides you'll want to know King." He grins at me then, it boyish, playful, and dangerous all at the same time. How you may be wondering but I couldn't tell you, all I could say is that it was.

"Marcel." He says after a moment, and all I can do is smirk back at him.

"Alright King, why don't we leave this alleyway and see if I can locate my friends first. Then we'll all have a nice chat." Marcel makes a motion with his hands as if to say ladies first and I almost don't follow.

I was a rebellious child. I didn't take orders well.

He leads us down the strip, saying he can vaguely smell the other two which then brought to my attention that demi-gods must have smelt different to the kind of vampire he was. Never thought about that before, but in my defense Marcel was the first vampire from the series I'd encountered.

Or maybe he'd just met a lot of them? I couldn't be sure and I wasn't about to ask.

"Thank the gods. Why did you run off?" Ella breathes her relief and exasperation as she throws her arms around me. Ezra just shakes his head, but I know he agrees and he won't be prying his girlfriend off of me.

"I thought you were with me until I realized you weren't. Then it was just too late. This is Marcel by the way. He's in charge around here." I tell them making a motion to the vampire who'd taken a step back to give us a moment.

Ella gives me the most unimpressed look she can muster. Which for the record is very impressive and shouldn't be taken for granted. "Of course you would manage to find the King of the Quarter while being chased by a monster. I'm Ella, this is Ezra and I'm sure our small companion didn't introduce herself properly is Adriana." The forger girl says with the air of someone who was not to be taken lightly as she holds out a hand to the vampire.

The thing you are probably wondering is how exactly do we know who Marcel is. How do we know about the existence of supernatural that couldn't be explained by our myths. While my knowledge is understandable Ella and Ezra's probably confuses you a little. It did at first for me, until they told me there stories. Apparently I wasn't the only person pulled from another world. They weren't from my world, oh no I couldn't have gotten that lucky. Ezra was reincarnated from a different timeline parallel to my universe with a few minor tweaks and then Ella came from the Vampire Diaries original universe. So she was all too familiar with its inhabitants. It was funny how the fates worked.

"We need to talk." Ezra tells the man looking around the bustling street in feigned contempt. Marcel raises a brow and I can just shrug. In my internal explanation I must have missed something. That happened from time to time.

Marcel leads us to a small cafe a few blocks over, not a bar, but like a nice little coffee house. Ella decides to actually order something and since we were on camps dime so did Ezra. "So, what brings you three to New Orleans?" He begins giving us curious looks and then adds. "I wasn't aware that there was business here for you demigods."

Now as to how some vampires just know of the existence of demigods and greeks that I couldn't give you an answer for. It was just something that happened from time to time.

"You have a witch problem, it's caught the attention of my mother." Ezra tells him plainly. There was no beating around the bush with him, Ezra was facts and points always. Marcel looks intrigued by that notion he smirks.

"An interesting prospect but this is new orleans." He says as if it's the only explanation we need. Ezra not one to play crosses his arms over his chest. I let him take the lead here for the simple reason of witches were really more his thing. Look at who his mother was, if anyone was going to say there was a problem it was him.

"If it were just simple tourist voodoo or trickery then it wouldn't be a problem. But the actual witches here are beginning to play a dangerous game with things they do not understand. You need to reign them in or else instead of just a warning from three demigods you'll be getting the full force of my mother's vengeance. She doesn't take kindly to those who try to play god." That was true, Hecate while most thought she was unstable actually had rules. She of course wasn't subject to them, but there were rules. Rules anyone who practiced magic had to follow even if they weren't her children. Even if the magic was being sourced through a different thing.

The witches of New Orleans were beginning to twist those rules.

"A harvest is coming, you need to make sure it's fruitless. You are the King of the Quarter. Prove it." Ella adds, she gives him this look. It's meaningful and well balanced she knows something he doesn't. I think that it has something to do with the way she originally died.

"They're right, Marcel you seem like a nice guy so don't be arrogant. This is your city, your people, rule it. Your witches are breaking the rules. You need to make them see reason or you need to give them something to fear." Rhea's words echoes on my tongue. Look I know what your thinking, that I haven't given you enough context here. So this coffee shop negotiation is probably not making a lot of sense. Have no fear I'll explain.

It has everything to do with why this reality was split, and all of our parts to play. Sorta. In the last year I'd learned something, something important. The balance had shifted, their was a crack in the multiverse, it was why the fates had been able to pull me into this split world. Why everything that had and was going to happen was happening. The heavens were fractured, breaking apart at the seams and people were starting to notice. Cracks in the universe were two worlds that shouldn't have mixed were bleeding. A nice festering wound.

They couldn't be closed. They had to be protected. If someone tried to draw power from them, someone other than myself then this world would burn. I was the only one who could safely harness their power, it was the existence of these cracks that was the root of a lot of my power.

I'd been marked. And Ezra and Ella had just come to close to the fracture in their own worlds and suffered the consequences. They were meant to help me keep them safe until the fates could figure out a way to close them permanently without damaging the world they'd created. If I couldn't keep them in check, couldn't keep them from being drawn upon then the heavens would fall. Reality would crumble. Yes I know it was all very Doctor Who'ish but to my knowledge Doctor Who wasn't real in this strange universe.

Prophecies were a funny thing. Because you never really knew what they would mean until they came too it. We were no longer in the eye, the storm would be upon us soon.

There was only one last piece of the puzzle. One unsolved mystery in this whole thing.

And that mystery, well we weren't there it was still to far off.

The ripples, the cracks, they were why we were in the quarter. Reality was bleeding through here and we needed to patch it up. So that the witches of the quarter couldn't keep drawing from it's powers. With that much raw energy you didn't need the rules.

Hecate didn't like it when witches didn't follow her rules.

He gave the three of us an incredoubles look, like he couldn't believe the audacity of three teenagers. To be fair if I was in his shoes I probably wouldn't be taking us very seriously either.

"You three are making a lot of accusation." There is a warning in his tone. A threat that none of us appreciate. It's the type of tone that makes demigods antsy.

You didn't want an antsy demigod. Let alone three. We were liable to react defensively. This could get messy really quick if Marcel didn't pick his next words carefully. I couldn't be held responsible for defending my friends.

"However, I will take a look into and form my own opinion on the matter." He leans into the chair easily, the hostility gone. We relaxed only slightly in our seats. Just in case.

"Great, we'll be in touch." I say carefully. Standing cautiously and holding out a hand to the vampire. He levels with me, expression casual but hard to read.

"Two nights from now I'll be throwing a party, come and I'll give you my answer then." I nod for us, because Ezra looked like he wanted to say something pity and Ella could go either way.

This was not a man I wanted as my enemy. I'd always liked Marcel's character. "I shouldn't tell you this but we're staying at the Bienville send someone you trust to show us the way to the party." He shakes his head at that smirking boyishly at me again.

"That simply won't do, while you are here you are guest of mine go to Windsor Court and ask for Mila tell her that I sent you." Ella looks like she wants to protest but I hold my hand to her silencing the refusal I know is about to slip from my friends mouth.

I knew there was a reason I liked Marcel.

"Thank you." And that's that.

 _There is a house in new orleans.._

I was going to assume Marcel's party was a lot like what I'd seen from the show. So I wasn't surprised when we arrived to find it in full swing, just as loud and wild as they'd been. Actually it might have been louder. Once inside the compound I left Ella and Ezra to their own devices. I wanted to see the man of the hour. He's at the top of the banisters overlooking the packed courtyard. Observing his subjects, or something possessive like that.

"Your companions don't seem to like me very much." He states as I join him. I follow the direction of his eyes and true enough Ezra and Ella are looking in his direction glaring. Although in their defense they weren't glaring at him. That was honestly both of their perpetual resting faces.

"Don't take it personally. This isn't their type of thing, and they wouldn't let me come alone." I lean forward using the railing as a brace. Observing the mixed crowd bellow. Marcel raises a brow at the back of my head, at least I assume he did by the tone of his voice.

"From the looks of it you can take care of yourself princess." I look over my shoulder meeting his eyes, grinning at him.

"It's not for my benefit King." He shakes his head and then makes a motion for me to follow.

Marcel leads us away from the crowd into the manor. Not that I was going to complain, I'd never much been a fan of huge parties. "I did some research on what we discussed." He states leading me into a large parlor with a grand piano situated in the middle of the room. I gave him a curious look.

 _They call the rising sun..._

"What did you find?" I wonder taking a step around him and walking over to the piano. My fingers itching to play. Carefully I ran a hand over the lid. Watching him from the corner of my eye, never letting my guard down least he decide that we were no longer friends.

He walks over then taking a seat on the stool and gesturing for me to sit next to him. I do as instructed waiting for him to gather his thoughts, my fingers find their way to the keys. They dance across the keys delicately. The melody builds quietly. Marcel's eyes are on me, I can feel the intensity of his stare as he watches.

"You were right." He states and I hum in response. Of course I was right, I usually was. When you knew what was meant to happen there wasn't many opportunities to be wrong.

"But you already knew that you would be. I did some research on you daughter of the sea." I smirk into the keys, barely sparing him a glance.

"What did you discover King?" I ask, the notes building slowly, their pace building up. His fingers settle at the other end joining in tune.

"They're afraid of you." He states as if it's the most simple of discoveries, as if it isn't as dark and discontenting as it sounds.

"They should be." I muse, letting my fingers still on the keys abruptly. He gives me this look. As if he finds it hard to believe. As if he doesn't want to believe it.

 _It's been the ruin of many a poor boy.._

"Why?" He finally says after a moment, and I resume the light stroke of keys. Humming the tune to myself.

I don't answer him immediately, where would the fun be if I did? Marcel watches me, waiting for my explanation. So I take my time, building slowly back into the song, pacing myself. He doesn't grow volatile like one would assume or expect instead he seems to be in the mood to play my games.

"Mortals fear what they cannot explain, witches fear what they cannot reach, the gods, well they fear what they cannot control. I just happen to fall into all of those categories." I do tell him after I have finished playing out the last note of the song.

Carefully I stand leaving him on the bench, I walk around the grand running my hand on the sleek black top. Looking over my shoulder to the vampire, he appears thoughtful. I offer him a smile.

"Does my answer satisfy you King?" Marcel takes a deep breath, considering his options most likely. Then he slowly nods his head.

"I have a feeling you and I will become great friends princess." I just smirk at his answer.

Great friends indeed.

 _And god, I know I'm one…_

 _x_

Marcel watches her carefully as she walked ahead of him. The moon reflecting off the river, their reflections barely cast on the dark depths. It was hard to believe looking at the small seemingly human girl before him that she was something to be feared. That the mere mention of her name brought about fear among the witches in the quarter.

She appeared so normal.

But when he looked at her he could see it. So clear, so unmistakable, deep in her eyes resonating from the pits of her soul. The loss, darkness, pain. Trying to take over, to win control he could see how she fought it, never one to lose. Marcel could relate to that.

"What will you do now Marcel"? She questions, never looking at him eyes cast over the mississippi clouded and full of thought.

He considered her question carefully. What was he planning on doing? It was a good question, one he hadn't yet figured out. One thing for certain, however, he knew that she wasn't an enemy he wanted to make.

Marcel simply smirks at her. "Be a king." Adriana stops glancing at him over her shoulder, she grins wickedly in response.

"Good."

 **XOXOX**

 **Thank you so much for reading this chapter, I know that it is a lot to digest and to take in please let me know what you think!**

 **I hope that you enjoyed reading it!**

 **Sincerely, La'Rae**


End file.
